Colombian Women Sentenced for Prostitution in Split
Five Colombian nationals were sentenced to 10 days in prison, but the court ordered the return of seized money because police failed to specify the amounts of illegal earnings.
Five Colombian nationals were sentenced to 10 days in prison, but the court ordered the return of seized money because police failed to specify the amounts of illegal earnings.
Five Colombian nationals, aged 21 to 30, were sentenced to 10 days in prison each by the Sinj Misdemeanor Court for providing sexual services in a rented apartment in Split. However, the case took an unexpected turn when the court ordered the return of all temporarily seized money due to a procedural error by the police.
According to Jutarnji list, the women, identified by their initials E. W. B., L. V. M. P., M. J. D. C. J., N. D. S. V., and M. P. E. S., were caught in the act last month, in July 2026, when police discovered they were advertising on a popular escort website, where they had posted their price list and photos. This, according to police, violated Article 12 of the Law on Misdemeanors Against Public Order and Peace.
During the trial, the Colombian women presented their versions of events, disputing police claims about service prices. One 26-year-old stated she did not need a defense attorney and pleaded not guilty. "It's true we advertised online, but I didn't charge 400 euros per hour, but 200. I came to Split at the end of June and have been advertising since then. I earned around 630 euros. The police seized a total of 1,630 euros and my passport," she said, as reported by Jutarnji list.
Another Colombian woman claimed that 550 euros of the seized money was her own, not earned illegally. The youngest, a 21-year-old, explained the origin of the 1,600 euros seized: "Half of that money I earned through sex, and the rest was a gift from a friend in Madrid." She added that she charged between 150 and 200 euros per hour for her services. The remaining two Colombian women, who share a close friendship, told similar stories.
Although the misdemeanor judge sentenced them to prison terms, the court also made a decision in favor of the defendants. All temporarily seized money must be returned to them. The reason lies in the police's failure to specify the exact amounts of financial gain each woman individually earned through illegal activity in the factual description of the offense. Additionally, they were exempted from paying court costs.
