Red Light District license pulled; 18 windows to close

Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan has decided to close part of an Amsterdam window prostitution business because serious abuses were detected, the city municipality announced in a press release. The business will now continue with 29 instead of 47 windows.

This decision was made after several consultations between the mayor and the business owner. The owner decided to significantly reduce the size of his business by 18 windows. The mayor issued him a one-year license for 29 windows with the explicit condition that the owner make the proposed improvement measures in the areas of the intake of sex workers, administration and supervision. This should prevent further abuses in the future.

Municipality enforcers and the police will check whether the measures are actually implemented and lead to improvement. If the business does not seem to be in order, it may still be closed down. The owner must close the 18 windows not included in his licence by April 30 at the latest. Another business may then submit a permit application.

The municipality says it does not expect that the temporary closure of the 18 windows will lead to major problems for sex workers, as there are plenty of opportunities for them to find temporary work elsewhere.