3. Crim<strong>in</strong>al Development123. Crim<strong>in</strong>al Development3.1 <strong>Traffick<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>human</strong> be<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>for</strong> <strong>sexual</strong><strong>purposes</strong>The National Bureau of Investigation regularlyreceives <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation about groups <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividualsresponsible <strong>for</strong> various <strong>for</strong>ms of <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>gwith<strong>in</strong>, through <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>to Sweden. This <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation isprovided by bodies such as the Swedish <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong>eignpolice, NGOs, the general public <strong>and</strong> the SwedishMigration Board. In<strong>for</strong>mation, <strong>and</strong> the prelim<strong>in</strong>ary<strong>in</strong>vestigations undertaken dur<strong>in</strong>g 2011, show that<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g is not just a metropolitan phenomenonbut also occurs <strong>in</strong> smaller towns throughoutSweden.Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the Swedish National Police Board itis difficult to estimate how many people fell victim to<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Sweden dur<strong>in</strong>g 2011. The numberof victims of <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g identified <strong>in</strong> Swedenlargely depends on the resources which the policeput <strong>in</strong>to detect<strong>in</strong>g this crime <strong>and</strong> on the experience<strong>and</strong> competence that exists with<strong>in</strong> the police organisation.The level of these <strong>in</strong>itiatives varies betweenpolice authorities <strong>and</strong> can vary from one year toan<strong>other</strong>. It is not possible to identify or even to locateall of the victims, ma<strong>in</strong>ly girls <strong>and</strong> women, mentioned<strong>in</strong> tapped telephone calls or observed dur<strong>in</strong>g policesurveillance. Neither can the estimate be based exclusivelyon the number of victims that are viewed as<strong>in</strong>jured parties <strong>in</strong> <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestigations,s<strong>in</strong>ce the majority of these <strong>in</strong>vestigations result <strong>in</strong> sentences<strong>for</strong> procur<strong>in</strong>g/aggravated procur<strong>in</strong>g. Thesequence of events <strong>in</strong> a procur<strong>in</strong>g case can exhibitvery great similarities to the sequence of events <strong>in</strong> a<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g case. The crucial issue <strong>in</strong> determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gwhether it might be possible to prosecute theperpetrators <strong>and</strong> convict them of <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g<strong>and</strong> not <strong>for</strong> procur<strong>in</strong>g, is whether the victim’s libertyhas been violated.There may be several explanations <strong>for</strong> why themajority of cases brought to trial result <strong>in</strong> convictions<strong>for</strong> procur<strong>in</strong>g/aggravated procur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stead of<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g. It may be because the <strong>human</strong>traffick<strong>in</strong>g legislation is still complex <strong>and</strong> difficult toapply. In addition, <strong>in</strong> recent years, the perpetratorshave changed their modi oper<strong>and</strong>i <strong>in</strong> certa<strong>in</strong> cases.Instead of us<strong>in</strong>g violence <strong>and</strong> threats aga<strong>in</strong>st the victim,the perpetrators often make offers of “betterconditions”, such as greater freedom of action. Thevictims are also allowed to reta<strong>in</strong> a larger proportionof their earn<strong>in</strong>gs. This is an effective way of gett<strong>in</strong>gthe victims tied <strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g them dependent,result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the victims rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g loyal to the perpetrators<strong>and</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g less <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ed to act as witnessesaga<strong>in</strong>st them. It can sometimes be difficult to get thecourts to underst<strong>and</strong> how serious the oppression hasbeen when the women have not been treated “particularlybadly”. A change <strong>in</strong> the perpetrators’behaviour became apparent <strong>in</strong> 2011, when two majorprelim<strong>in</strong>ary <strong>in</strong>vestigations, one <strong>in</strong> Stockholm <strong>and</strong>one <strong>in</strong> Västra Götal<strong>and</strong>, also encompassed threatened<strong>and</strong> actual physical <strong>and</strong> <strong>sexual</strong> violence aga<strong>in</strong>stthe victims.In 2011, the police drew up 35 reports relat<strong>in</strong>g to<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>for</strong> <strong>sexual</strong> <strong>purposes</strong>. Dur<strong>in</strong>g thatsame year, two people were convicted <strong>for</strong> <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g<strong>for</strong> <strong>sexual</strong> <strong>purposes</strong>. In addition, three peoplewere sentenced <strong>for</strong> aggravated procur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> eight<strong>for</strong> procur<strong>in</strong>g that had been of a <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>gnature. F<strong>in</strong>ally 450 legal proceed<strong>in</strong>gs were <strong>in</strong>itiatedconcern<strong>in</strong>g the purchase of <strong>sexual</strong> services <strong>and</strong> 7 legalproceed<strong>in</strong>gs concern<strong>in</strong>g the purchase of <strong>sexual</strong> actsfrom children under the age of 18 7 . More prelim<strong>in</strong>ary<strong>in</strong>vestigations <strong>in</strong>to <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g, procurement<strong>and</strong> purchase of <strong>sexual</strong> services are ongo<strong>in</strong>g, onwhich rul<strong>in</strong>gs are expected to be pronounced <strong>in</strong> 2012.The above statistics can be compared to the situationdur<strong>in</strong>g 2010 when 32 reports were drawn up concern<strong>in</strong>g<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>for</strong> <strong>sexual</strong> <strong>purposes</strong>. Inthat same year, three people were sentenced <strong>for</strong> complicity<strong>in</strong> <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>for</strong> <strong>sexual</strong> <strong>purposes</strong> <strong>and</strong>7 Total judicial decisions, orders of summary punishment <strong>and</strong>waivers of prosecution <strong>in</strong> 2011.
3. Crim<strong>in</strong>al Development13one person was sentenced <strong>for</strong> complicity <strong>in</strong> the samecrime. In 2010, five people were sentenced <strong>for</strong> aggravatedprocur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> fourteen <strong>for</strong> procur<strong>in</strong>g of a<strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g nature. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the same year, 336legal proceed<strong>in</strong>gs were <strong>in</strong>itiated concern<strong>in</strong>g the purchaseof <strong>sexual</strong> services <strong>and</strong> 9 legal proceed<strong>in</strong>gs concern<strong>in</strong>gthe purchase of <strong>sexual</strong> acts from children.In<strong>for</strong>mation received by the police dur<strong>in</strong>g 2011showed that the absolute majority of victims weregirls <strong>and</strong> women. No boys or men were identified <strong>in</strong>2011 as victims of <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>for</strong> <strong>sexual</strong> <strong>purposes</strong>.The <strong>for</strong>eign girls <strong>and</strong> women recruited to Sweden<strong>for</strong> the <strong>purposes</strong> of prostitution came primarilyfrom Eastern Europe (especially Romania, Lithuania,Estonia, Slovakia <strong>and</strong> Pol<strong>and</strong>), Thail<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong>Nigeria 8 . Here, a change can clearly be discerneds<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation about women from Lithuania whoare be<strong>in</strong>g exploited <strong>in</strong> prostitution <strong>in</strong> Sweden<strong>in</strong>creased significantly <strong>in</strong> 2011 compared with previousyears. Changes <strong>in</strong> the victims’ backgrounds <strong>and</strong>nationalities can be expla<strong>in</strong>ed by a weakened nationalsocio-economic climate which is hitt<strong>in</strong>g women <strong>and</strong>girls particularly badly. The economic crisis <strong>in</strong> southernEurope may also mean that <strong>human</strong> traffickers<strong>and</strong> pimps are direct<strong>in</strong>g their activities towards countrieswith more stable economies, such as Sweden.The number of tip-offs received by the NationalBureau of Investigation concern<strong>in</strong>g suspected prostitution<strong>in</strong> relation to Thai massage parlours <strong>in</strong> Swedenrema<strong>in</strong>s high. The subject is still also discussed frequentlyby sex-purchasers <strong>and</strong> <strong>other</strong>s on various discussion<strong>for</strong>ums on the Internet.Furthermore the Swedish Tax Agency carried out<strong>in</strong>spections dur<strong>in</strong>g 2011-2012 regard<strong>in</strong>g cash h<strong>and</strong>l<strong>in</strong>gat a fairly large number of Thai massage parlours,frequently f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g flaws <strong>in</strong> this. In conjunction with8 For more <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation about victims from Thail<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Nigeria,see the Swedish National Police Board situation reportsHuman <strong>Traffick<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>for</strong> Sexual <strong>and</strong> Other Purposes <strong>for</strong> theyears 2009 <strong>and</strong> 2010.these <strong>in</strong>spections, at certa<strong>in</strong> locations the SwedishTax Agency also noted that staff at the massage parlourshad no residence permits <strong>for</strong> Sweden.In 2009, the National Bureau of Investigation estimatedthat there were about 90 Thai massage parlours<strong>in</strong> Stockholm <strong>and</strong> vic<strong>in</strong>ity, most of which werejudged to be offer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>sexual</strong> services <strong>for</strong> sale. At theturn of 2011/2012, the number of Thai massage parlours<strong>in</strong> the Stockholm area was estimated to beabout 250 <strong>and</strong> throughout the country about 450 9 .The parallel <strong>in</strong>vestigation conducted by the NationalBureau of Investigation, related to a <strong>human</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>vestigation <strong>in</strong> Belgium <strong>in</strong>itiated <strong>in</strong> 2008,clearly showed that the visas issued by the SwedishEmbassy <strong>in</strong> Bangkok were a facilitat<strong>in</strong>g factor <strong>for</strong>carry<strong>in</strong>g out the crime <strong>in</strong> Belgium. The visas wereissued because the Embassy was misled <strong>in</strong> a numberof application cases. (For more <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation, seeunder the head<strong>in</strong>g Cooperation with Belgium onp. 36).In 2011, evidence was also submitted show<strong>in</strong>g thatreferees (some of whom proved to be known <strong>in</strong> relationto brothel bus<strong>in</strong>esses <strong>in</strong> Denmark) acted as sponsors<strong>for</strong> visa applications at the Swedish Embassy <strong>in</strong>Bangkok, thereby procur<strong>in</strong>g women <strong>in</strong> order toexploit them <strong>in</strong> prostitution.Deportation of a woman <strong>in</strong> prostitution froman<strong>other</strong> EU countryIn February 2011, the police authority <strong>in</strong> the countyof Hall<strong>and</strong> decided to deport a Romanian womanpursuant to Chapter 8, § 2, paragraph 1, 2, of theAliens Act. Police authorities said that the woman,who made her liv<strong>in</strong>g through prostitution, constituteda threat to public order <strong>and</strong> security. The womanappealed to the Swedish Migration Board who madethe same assessment as the police authority <strong>in</strong> Hall<strong>and</strong>:namely that prostitution is <strong>in</strong>deed legal <strong>in</strong> Sweden,9 Thai Massage Guide <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation from Conny Svensson,Swedish Tax Agency.