Lost Women or Loose Women? Examining Prostitution Policy-Practice Divide in the Lithuanian Legal System

Abstract: This work examines prostitution practice-policy divide in Lithuanian legal system. Prostitution law in Lithuania was amended in 2005 by stipulating legal liability not only for sex selling but also for sex purchase. This shows Lithuania’s step towards more abolitionistic view concerning prostitution. However, this change does not reflect in police statistics on prostitution arrests. With this thesis I aim to explain how such prostitution policy-practice divide where punished women outnumber their clients from ten to several dozen times is produced in Lithuanian legal system. To get better understanding of prostitution in this particular Baltic country, I have analyzed legal Codes since the early 1960s until nowadays and discussed developments regarding legal approach towards prostitution. Moreover, I take a look at police statistics and other information published on the police website, for example, police reports on prostitution and trafficking matters. This source is of great importance and shows how prostitution and trafficking stings are conducted. Furthermore, analyzing police reports has revealed how certain prototypical stories are used to form certain image of trafficked and prostituted women, their agency as well as how traffickers and sex sellers are depicted.