Section 90: Brothel keeping

90. Brothel keeping (1) Any person who— (a) keeps or manages, or assists in the keeping or management of a brothel; [Issue 2] C58– 12 Revised Laws of Mauritius (b) being the tenant, lessee or occupier, or person in charge of any premises, permits those premises or any part of them to be used as a brothel; or (c) being the landlord or lessor of any premises or the agent of such landlord or lessor, lets or continues to let the premises or any part of them with the knowledge that the premises or any part of them are or is to be used as a brothel, or is wilfully a party to the continued use of the premises or any part of them as a brothel, shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable, subject to subsection (2), to a fine not exceeding 200,000 rupees together with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years. (2) (a) Notwithstanding sections 150 to 153 of the Criminal Procedure Act, a person charged under subsection (1) (b) with having permitted a minor to use the premises as a brothel shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years. (b) Part X of the Criminal Procedure Act and the Probation of Offenders Act shall not apply to a person liable to be sentenced under paragraph (a). (3) In this section, “brothel” means any premises or any part thereof resorted to by persons of both sexes for the purpose of prostitution. (4) No prosecution shall be entered under this section except by direction of the Director of Public Prosecutions. [S. 90 amended by Act 29 of 1990; Act 14 of 1998; s. 8 of Act 36 of 2008 w.e.f. 6 December 2008.]