The treatment of prostitution has dramatically changed over the centuries. In modern times, many countries have decriminalized or regulated prostitution, and in others, penalties for such activities may be relatively mild. However, the history of how society treated sex workers is marked by extreme punishment, especially during earlier times when the practice was viewed as sinful and immoral.
In the early 16th century, Europe’s attitude toward prostitution was harsh, rooted in both religious and social conservatism. Prostitutes and brothel keepers were often subjected to brutal punishments intended to both humiliate and deter others. One of the most notorious punishments was branding, where individuals were marked with a hot iron on their skin, a painful reminder of their crime. The punishment wasn’t just physical; it was a public spectacle designed to ensure that the consequences of prostitution were clear and evident to everyone in the community.
But the branding was not the only form of cruel punishment. For women, the consequences were often much more severe and public. In some parts of Europe, the punishment escalated to inserting the branding iron into the private parts of the prostitute, which was not just a cruel act of punishment but a deeply invasive violation meant to cause both physical and emotional harm. The shame of this punishment was meant to follow the individual for the rest of their life, stripping away any sense of dignity or humanity they might have had left.
This particular form of punishment was not limited to just one place or one incident. Throughout Europe, especially in cities like Aberdeen, prostitution was not just considered a crime, but a sin. One particularly infamous case involved a woman who ran a brothel in Aberdeen. She was captured, branded with a hot iron on both cheeks, and then made to wear a paper crown as an additional form of public humiliation. Afterward, she was banished from the city, stripped of her rights and identity. It was a form of punishment intended to erase her from the community’s memory as if she had never existed at all.
These incidents, though harsh and tragic, were not isolated. They were reflective of a broader societal view that treated prostitution as a crime that deserved severe punishment. In the eyes of the law and society, prostitutes were not viewed as victims but as criminals who threatened the moral fabric of the community. The public nature of the punishments was designed to send a message to others: that such behavior would not be tolerated.
The attitudes toward prostitution have evolved significantly since the 16th century. Today, many places recognize the need for reforms in how sex work is treated. Legal systems in some countries have shifted away from punitive measures toward harm reduction, advocating for the rights and protection of sex workers rather than punishing them for their profession. While the history of prostitution is filled with violence and shame, today’s conversations are focusing more on human rights and the safety of sex workers.
However, the story of how prostitutes were treated in earlier centuries serves as a powerful reminder of the evolution of social attitudes and the ongoing struggle for justice and equality for those who have long been marginalized and oppressed. The scars of the past still remain, but they also show how far societies have come in rethinking what justice truly means.
