Orihuela has agreed to pursue the abolition of prostitution in the municipality. The municipal ordinance was approved at last weeks plenary meeting with votes in favour of all political groups except Ciudadanos, which abstained. The proposal was approved last April by the previous PSOE-Cs government and was prepared by the former socialist councillor, Carmen Moreno.

Councillor Aynara Navarro, also PSOE, said that the approval of the new law is the best way to celebrate the International Day against sexual exploitation and trafficking of women, which was observed on September 23, but above all, she said, “it represents a significant commitment on the part of the municipal administration to address a complex and urgent social problem, sending a clear message about the importance of addressing this issue, positioning women as victims for the first time and recognising that prostitution is “a form of exploitation that must be eliminated to build a more just and equitable society.”

The councillor for Social Welfare, Agustina Rodríguez (PP), approved the text without any amendment despite the fact that it was inherited from the previous mandate and pointed out that the PP will always be “on the side of human rights.”