Prostitution Prostitution laws in São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé e Príncipe
Selling and buying sex between adults are not offences in São Tomé and Príncipe. The Penal Code approved by Law 6/2012, which replaced the Portuguese colonial code of 1886, punishes lenocínio: fostering, favouring or facilitating another person's prostitution professionally or with intent to profit carries one to five years, and two to eight years where violence, threats, deceit or the victim's vulnerability or extreme economic need is exploited (Article 173). Leading a person into prostitution abroad by violence, threats or fraud carries two to eight years (Article 172). Paying a person aged 15 to 18 for sex, and facilitating the prostitution of anyone under 18, are separate offences whose penalties were raised by Law 15/2021. There is no separate brothel offence and no provision specifically on advertising sexual services.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
The 2012 Penal Code, modelled on Portugal's, has no offence of selling or buying sex between adults. It punishes anyone who professionally or for profit fosters, favours or facilitates another person's prostitution (lenocínio, Article 173), which also covers running a venue, and taking a person abroad for prostitution by force or deceit (Article 172).[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Legal | No provision of the Penal Code makes selling sex, or soliciting for it, an offence for an adult. The chapter on crimes against sexual freedom and self-determination targets those who traffic, exploit or facilitate others' prostitution, and adults who pay minors.[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | There is no offence of paying an adult for sex. An adult who pays or offers anything in return for sexual acts with a person aged 15 to 18 commits prostitution of minors: two to six years, or three to eight years for intercourse, since Law 15/2021 (Article 179; before 2021 the age band was 14 to 18 and the maximum two or three years).[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | No article specifically on brothels was found. Running premises where others sell sex, professionally or for profit, falls within lenocínio, fostering, favouring or facilitating another person's prostitution, punishable by one to five years (Article 173(1)). Legal persons can be fined and dissolved for offences involving minors (Article 182(7)).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Anyone who, professionally or with intent to profit, fosters, favours or facilitates another person's prostitution or significant sexual acts is punished by one to five years, and by two to eight years if they use violence, serious threats, deceit, or exploit mental incapacity, abandonment or extreme economic need (Article 173). Facilitating the prostitution of a person under 18 carries two to six years since 2021, and four to ten years in aggravated cases (Article 181).[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No provision specifically on advertising sexual services was found. A sex worker advertising her own services commits no offence, but a third party who publishes such advertisements professionally or for profit could be facilitating another person's prostitution under the lenocínio offence (Article 173). Distributing pornography involving minors is a separate offence (Article 180).[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
No provision of the Penal Code makes selling sex, or soliciting for it, an offence for an adult. The chapter on crimes against sexual freedom and self-determination targets those who traffic, exploit or facilitate others' prostitution, and adults who pay minors.[1]
Confidence: medium. Read in the Diário da República text of 2012 and the 2021 amending law. Municipal regulations and minor-offence (contravenção) rules, if any, were not checked; enforcement practice was not assessed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
There is no offence of paying an adult for sex. An adult who pays or offers anything in return for sexual acts with a person aged 15 to 18 commits prostitution of minors: two to six years, or three to eight years for intercourse, since Law 15/2021 (Article 179; before 2021 the age band was 14 to 18 and the maximum two or three years).[1][2]
Confidence: medium.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
No article specifically on brothels was found. Running premises where others sell sex, professionally or for profit, falls within lenocínio, fostering, favouring or facilitating another person's prostitution, punishable by one to five years (Article 173(1)). Legal persons can be fined and dissolved for offences involving minors (Article 182(7)).[1]
Confidence: medium. That a venue falls under Article 173 is an inference from its wording, which follows Portugal's lenocínio offence; no Santomean case law was found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Anyone who, professionally or with intent to profit, fosters, favours or facilitates another person's prostitution or significant sexual acts is punished by one to five years, and by two to eight years if they use violence, serious threats, deceit, or exploit mental incapacity, abandonment or extreme economic need (Article 173). Facilitating the prostitution of a person under 18 carries two to six years since 2021, and four to ten years in aggravated cases (Article 181).[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No provision specifically on advertising sexual services was found. A sex worker advertising her own services commits no offence, but a third party who publishes such advertisements professionally or for profit could be facilitating another person's prostitution under the lenocínio offence (Article 173). Distributing pornography involving minors is a separate offence (Article 180).[1]
Confidence: low. Classification inferred from the general lenocínio offence; no case law on advertising or ad sites was found, and media and electronic-communications laws were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Lei n.º 6/2012 – Aprova o Código Penal (Diário da República n.º 95, 6 de Agosto de 2012) Penal Code approved by Law No. 6/2012 arts. 172–173 · arts. 179–182 | Chapter V on crimes against sexual freedom and self-determination: trafficking for prostitution, lenocínio, and offences involving minors. In force three months after publication (Article 4 of Law 6/2012).[1] | November 2012 |
| Lei n.º 15/2021 – Primeira alteração ao Código Penal aprovado pela Lei n.º 6/12, de 6 de Agosto (Diário da República n.º 61, 10 de Agosto de 2021) Law No. 15/2021, first amendment to the Penal Code arts. 175–183 | Raised the age thresholds and penalties for sexual offences against minors, including prostitution of minors (art. 179) and facilitating the prostitution of minors (art. 181); the adult lenocínio offence was not amended.[2] |
Timeline
- 6 August 2012Law 6/2012 approving a new Penal Code, replacing the Portuguese code of 1886, is published in the Diário da República No. 95.[1]
- 10 August 2021Law 15/2021 amends the Penal Code, raising penalties for sexual offences against minors, including paying a minor for sex and facilitating the prostitution of minors.[2]
Sources
- Lei n.º 6/2012 – Aprova o Código Penal (Diário da República n.º 95, 6 de Agosto de 2012) (Law No. 6/2012 approving the Penal Code (Official Gazette No. 95, 6 August 2012)). Diário da República de São Tomé e Príncipe (copy hosted by Centro de Integridade Pública STP), 6 August 2012. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Lei n.º 15/2021 – Primeira alteração ao Código Penal aprovado pela Lei n.º 6/12, de 6 de Agosto (Diário da República n.º 61, 10 de Agosto de 2021) (Law No. 15/2021, first amendment to the Penal Code). Diário da República de São Tomé e Príncipe (copy on FAOLEX), 10 August 2021. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026