Italy plans prostitution penalty

Many of the prostitutes on Italy's streets are trafficked women

Italy is considering imposing on-the-spot fines on prostitutes' clients, the interior minister says.

Giulio Amato also revealed plans to serve legal papers in clients' homes in order to shame them.

He told a Senate committee he was examining efforts to keep prostitutes off the streets where they were near children or places of worship.

Italy allowed brothels to operate legally until 1959. It now has laws to stop pimps exploiting prostitutes.

Critics say the laws have served to drive prostitutes onto the streets.

They say the problem has worsened with the accession of 12 more countries to the European Union over the past three years.