France, April 13 -- A decade after France passed a law criminalising the purchase of sexual services, authorities insist they are taking a tough approach to prostitution networks.

Adopted on 13 October 2016, after intense debate, the law punishes clients of sex workers with fines of €1,500 and up to €3,500 for repeat offences.

The 2016 law also decriminalised soliciting and set up support for people to leave prostitution. Prostitution moving online

Ten years on, however, habits have changed. Once highly visible in public spaces, prostitution has shifted to private locations - short-term rental flats or hotel rooms - organised via online platforms, making it difficult for authorities to identify clie...