A teenage girl was today jailed for two months for loitering for purposes of prostitution after refusing to undergo drug rehabilitation.

The girl, who is under 18 years old and thus cannot be named, was jailed after she refused a court order to undergo a drug rehabilitation programme and live in sheltered accommodation.

(Then) Police Sergeant Adrian Lia had told the court that the girl was noticed by a police patrol in July 2010. She had admitted to the officers that she was there for prostitution. A condom and €10 were found in her bag. She told the police that she charged €50 per client, €100 if she went to the client's place and €150 if she went on a yacht.

In handing down sentence, the court said it appreciated that the accused was a vulnerable witness in two other criminal cases and had appeared in court with her face badly bruised and with a black eye.

The girl was sentenced to two months in jail with a recommendation that the prison authorities take special precautions for her protection.