The 2024 report shows an 11% increase in cases attended by the Xarxa d’Atenció Directa a Persones en Prostitució
The deputy mayor of Equality, Lourdes Roca, presented the data highlighting «the essential work» of support entities, which allowed 62% to start a process of improvement.
Palma, May 5, 2025 – The second deputy mayor and councilor for Social Services, Education, Citizen Participation, Youth, and Equality, Lourdes Roca, presented alongside representatives from the Casal Petit (Magdalena Alomar) and Red Cross (Elena Muñoz) entities, and the director of the Technical Unit for Equality, Toni Colom, the data from the 2024 report of the Xarxa d’Atenció Directa a Persones que Exerceixen la Prostitució (XADPEP).
During 2024, the entities attended a total of 1,542 unique cases, representing an 11% increase compared to the 1,390 cases recorded in 2023. Specifically, 52% of the cases were new, and 48% were reopened.
The report also highlights that 62% of the individuals attended began a process of improvement or participated continuously in actions aimed at autonomy and social inclusion, demonstrating the essential role of XADPEP in providing comprehensive care and support to individuals in prostitution.
Furthermore, the councilor emphasized the connection between prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation, stating that it is one of the most devastating and complex forms of violence faced by society.
In this regard, she emphasized the «fundamental» need to support social entities working in this field, as direct intervention in the prostitution environment is crucial for detecting and addressing trafficking cases properly. It is through social and personal support that trust is built, and many of these situations are identified.
The report also reveals that 48% of the cases attended were reopened, many of which were initiated over five years ago.
Another notable fact is the increasing relocation of prostitution, with 56% of activities taking place in private apartments and 11% in «displacement services,» making detection and access by intervention teams challenging.
In response, Roca highlighted the importance of adapting resources to a prostitution industry that is becoming increasingly invisible, localized, and digitized.
The majority of individuals attended are women (93%), followed by transgender women (5%) and men (2%). Only 5% are Spanish, while 95% are foreigners, with a predominance of individuals from Latin America (78%), followed by Africa (10%), the European Union (5%), other European countries (1%), and Asia (with 5 registered cases).
Regarding education levels, two-thirds of individuals attended have secondary education, 22% have primary education, and 8% have university education.
The report also notes a slight decrease in the average age of individuals attended, with an increase in the 25-34 age group, and 35% have been residing in Palma for less than a year. It is also worth noting that over half do not have private housing away from the prostitution environment, representing a 10% increase from 2023.
Regarding family responsibilities, 68% of women attended have dependents, with over half having two or more dependents.
Roca concluded by reaffirming the commitment of the Ajuntament to continue working to improve care and support for those in this situation, offering dignified alternatives and combating human trafficking. She emphasized that it is the responsibility of society as a whole to eradicate this scourge, in Palma and beyond.
Catalog of Services
It is worth noting that the Ajuntament de Palma, through the Equality department, will allocate a total of 195,000 euros in 2025 to fund projects supporting individuals in prostitution through XADPEP, composed of the entities Casal Petit (Germanes Oblates), Doctors of the World, and Red Cross.
Each of these organizations carries out specific and complementary work. Casal Petit provides social and psychological support, conducts outreach to apartments, clubs, and public spaces to connect with women in prostitution. Its services include literacy classes, language and computer classes, personalized job orientation, social integration workshops, awareness of resources, and job training activities. It also offers shelter for women wishing to leave the world of prostitution or who are victims of sexual exploitation networks. Additionally, it conducts awareness campaigns targeted at society.
Red Cross provides social and psychological support, as well as information and guidance on community resources. It mediates in areas such as health, access to legal services, and educational and job insertion. It also assists individuals in administrative procedures and personal matters, providing basic social assistance, including food, clothing, payment of utilities, or fees. It also promotes leisure and relaxation spaces as part of its intervention.
Doctors of the World focuses on engaging with prostitution environments, providing psychosocial, psychological, legal, and basic healthcare. In total, 633 visits to prostitution environments were recorded in 2024, with 66% being individual visits and 34% collective.
The data collected by XADPEP indicates that almost all individuals attended received social support, with 77% also receiving healthcare (60% related to physical health and 17% to mental health). 34% participated in job training activities, while 16% received legal assistance.
Regarding the duration of prostitution, six out of ten individuals attended have had experiences in the last five years, and 15% accessed these services for the first time in 2024. Additionally, 41% of individuals attended have been engaged in prostitution for six years or more.
FUENTE