Italy would outlaw buying sex

ROME, May 25 (UPI) -- Buying sex would be a crime in Italy under a proposal targeting prostitution from Interior Minister Giuliano Amato.

The proposal is modeled after a successful anti-prostitution law in Sweden, ANSA reported Friday.

"In this way it is possible to pursue both the managers and the clients and not just with fines for blocking the flow of traffic," Amato told the weekly L'Espresso. "Prostitution has been reduced in Sweden and almost all of its effects in terms of public security have been wiped out."

Currently, only exploiting prostitutes, or pimping, is against the law in Italy.

The interior minister told the news weekly he is infuriated when he sees prostitutes on Italian streets.

"Every time I drive down the Via Salaria in Rome I feel my blood boil," Amato said.