Prostitution Prostitution laws in CameroonCameroun
Prostitution is prohibited in Cameroon under the Penal Code (Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016). A person of either sex who habitually engages in sexual intercourse with another for payment, and anyone who publicly solicits for prostitution by gestures, words, writing or any other means, faces six months to five years in prison and a fine of CFAF 20,000 to 500,000 (Section 343). There is no specific offence for the client. Procuring, aiding or facilitating another person's prostitution, sharing in its proceeds or being supported by a sex worker carries six months to five years, doubled where the offender owns or manages an establishment where prostitution is habitually practised (Section 294). The Code states that the sex worker is not an accessory to procuring.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Selling sex is a specific offence: a person of either sex who habitually engages in sexual intercourse with another for gain faces six months to five years in prison (Section 343(1) of the 2016 Penal Code), and public soliciting carries the same penalty. Buying is not a specific offence. Procuring, sharing in the proceeds and running an establishment where prostitution is habitually practised are punished under Section 294.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Any person of either sex who habitually, for remuneration, engages in sexual acts with another is punishable by six months to five years in prison and a fine of CFAF 20,000 to 500,000 (Section 343(1)). The offence requires habit and payment; occasional paid sex is not covered by this section.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | No provision makes buying sex an offence; Section 343(1) applies to the person who engages in sexual acts for remuneration. A married client may commit adultery (Section 361: two to six months or a fine), which can be prosecuted only on the complaint of the wronged spouse.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no stand-alone brothel-keeping offence, but owning, managing or being in charge of an establishment where prostitution is habitually practised is an aggravating circumstance of the procuring offence: the penalty of six months to five years is doubled and the court must order the establishment closed (Section 294(3)(a) and (6)). Allowing a child under 18 to live or work in such an establishment is a separate offence (Section 345).[1][2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Whoever procures, aids or facilitates another person's prostitution, shares even occasionally in its proceeds, or is supported by a person engaging in prostitution faces six months to five years and a fine of CFAF 20,000 to 1,000,000. A person living with a sex worker is presumed to be supported unless they show sufficient own resources. The penalty is doubled for coercion, fraud, weapons, venue owners, victims under 21 and parents or guardians. The sex worker is not an accessory (Section 294).[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Publicly soliciting persons of either sex for prostitution or debauchery by gestures, words, writing or any other means carries six months to five years (Section 343(2)), which on its wording reaches written and online offers. Drawing the public's attention to an occasion of immorality is punishable as public indecency (Section 264(b)). A site hosting such offers could be charged with aiding or facilitating prostitution (Section 294).[1][2] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Any person of either sex who habitually, for remuneration, engages in sexual acts with another is punishable by six months to five years in prison and a fine of CFAF 20,000 to 500,000 (Section 343(1)). The offence requires habit and payment; occasional paid sex is not covered by this section.[1][2]
Note. Read in the WIPO Lex copy of the bilingual official text (scanned, partly garbled OCR); the French wording was checked against the English. Enforcement practice was not assessed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No provision makes buying sex an offence; Section 343(1) applies to the person who engages in sexual acts for remuneration. A married client may commit adultery (Section 361: two to six months or a fine), which can be prosecuted only on the complaint of the wronged spouse.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Classification inferred from the absence of a client offence in the Code; whether clients are ever charged as accomplices to the Section 343 offence was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
There is no stand-alone brothel-keeping offence, but owning, managing or being in charge of an establishment where prostitution is habitually practised is an aggravating circumstance of the procuring offence: the penalty of six months to five years is doubled and the court must order the establishment closed (Section 294(3)(a) and (6)). Allowing a child under 18 to live or work in such an establishment is a separate offence (Section 345).[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Whoever procures, aids or facilitates another person's prostitution, shares even occasionally in its proceeds, or is supported by a person engaging in prostitution faces six months to five years and a fine of CFAF 20,000 to 1,000,000. A person living with a sex worker is presumed to be supported unless they show sufficient own resources. The penalty is doubled for coercion, fraud, weapons, venue owners, victims under 21 and parents or guardians. The sex worker is not an accessory (Section 294).[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Publicly soliciting persons of either sex for prostitution or debauchery by gestures, words, writing or any other means carries six months to five years (Section 343(2)), which on its wording reaches written and online offers. Drawing the public's attention to an occasion of immorality is punishable as public indecency (Section 264(b)). A site hosting such offers could be charged with aiding or facilitating prostitution (Section 294).[1][2]
Confidence: medium. No provision specifically on advertising sexual services or on platform liability was found; the application of Sections 343(2) and 294 to online ads is an inference from their wording, not from case law. The 2010 cybercrime law was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Loi n° 2016/007 du 12 juillet 2016 portant Code pénal Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code s. 264 · s. 294 · ss. 343–345 · s. 361 | Criminalises habitual prostitution and public soliciting (s. 343), procuring, living on and sharing in the earnings of prostitution and running an establishment of prostitution (s. 294), and corruption of youth (s. 344).[2] | 12 July 2016 |
Timeline
Sources
- Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code (bilingual certified copy). WIPO Lex, 12 July 2016. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Loi n° 2016/007 du 12 juillet 2016 portant Code pénal (Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code). Présidence de la République du Cameroun, 12 July 2016. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026