Regulating massage parlours
In December 2021, assistant police commissioner Dennis Theuma expressed the opinion that massage parlours should be regulated, both in the interest of clients and even more in the interest of workers, who can easily end up being victims. He publicly said so in connection with police investigations into cases of human trafficking towards Malta.
Up until 2016, Malta had close to 200 licensed massage parlours. Thereafter, the government lifted the requirement for a licence to run these establishments.
Some time ago, Nationalist MP Graziella Attard Previ raised the same issue that the Nationalist Party had already raised before, namely that the authorities should no longer turn a blind eye to the countless “massage parlours”, which were clearly acting as a front for prostitution.
Logic dictates that, indeed, it is about time to, once more, have a proper legislative framework in place to regulate massage parlours.
Sexual exploitation seems to be rife in Malta and is often the case in massage parlours. Statistically, it should be an undeniable fact that massage parlours are being used for prostitution and human trafficking. In 2019, one in 10 male visitors to a Maltese GU clinic admitted to having had unprotected sex in a massage parlour, with men over 50 being the most common age group, according to statistics from Mater Dei Hospital.
Just take a tour around the country and you will notice that we have as many massage parlours as we have pastizzi shops. Most of the individuals who work in these parlours are foreign women who almost always have men as customers.
In light of all this, one legitimately asks whether the health authorities conduct regular inspections of these premises.
This clearly strengthens the case for regulating massage parlours in Malta. Regulations are necessary to keep women who work in the sex trade safe.
Many out there might be one massage away from endangering their physical well-being and health. The preservation of health is easier than the cure of the disease.
Mark Said – Msida
A stonemason carves out a design in stone. Photo: Shutterstock.comStonemasons
Recently, I learned that there are 1,700 licensed stonemasons in Malta and I wondered why we still call them stonemasons when most of them hardly ever touch stone anymore!
Wouldn’t ‘bricklayer’ be more suitable to describe what they do?
Joseph Muscat – Attard