Posts Tagged ‘Red Light District’

An interesting story I was sent by a reader, which I have fact checked by calling into the main Amsterdam Police Headquarters:

When you travel to Amsterdam in The Netherlands, you can legally pay for sex in the famed ‘Red Light District‘. However if you are ripped off by a prostitute, you have no recourse other than to sue her in civil court. You cannot complain to the owner of the building or the police. You can enter a room, agree on a price, hand her the money, and then have her flatly say to you ‘leave now, I am keeping your money’ and there is nothing that can be done-other than you taking her to civil court.

The person who sent me this was evidently also attacked while arguing with a girl there over her ripping him off, and he reported both the theft and the assault to police in Amsterdam-they would do nothing about either incident other than recommend he find legal counsel and sue the woman in court. What assets is a prostitute going to have to sue for exactly?

A terrible law in my view, and one paid little attention because – much like smoking, or porn – there are few advocates for consumers being abused-as most people are not proud of the fact that they are consumers-many probably wishing they were not.