Trafficking in human beings for sexual and other purposes - Polisen

Annex 1 – Reporting by the police authorities50controls of known activities that offer striptease and“video clubs” 75 . These police initiatives always takeplace in collaboration with the social services’ prostitutionteams which are able to offer support andassistance to the vulnerable people they come across.The City Police Prostitution Team consists of twopolice officers working full-time to combat the purchaseof sexual services in public places and on theInternet. Following skills enhancement programsorganised by the prostitution team, other workingparties in the City Police have been involved in thiswork. The team regularly visits hotels in Stockholmand outside, to talk about their work and how thehotel staff may get in touch with the ProstitutionTeam via a “hotline” if they suspect crimes such ashuman trafficking, procuring and the purchase ofsexual services.In 2011, the women who had been exploited instreet prostitution moved from Malmskillnadsgatanto Mäster Samuelsgatan and Vasagatan, probablybecause these streets are better lit and are thereforeconsidered to be safer. During the year, between 15and 20 women of both Swedish and foreign originwere out on these streets every night. The majority ofthe foreign women came from Estonia, Lithuania,Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Nigeria and Belarus.The women of Swedish origin who were exploitedin street prostitution in Stockholm in 2011, all hadsevere psychosocial problems. Many had a long historyof alcohol or drug abuse, and had been subject tosexual abuse while others were addicted to gambling.The number of female drug-abusers within streetprostitution declined dramatically in 2011 becausewomen were offered the opportunity to undergotreatment and therapy for problems such as heroinaddiction.The number of male sex-purchasers in street prosti-75 The term “video club”, in this context, is used to mean a videoshop that also offers booths for people who want to look aterotic films and simultaneously satisfy themselves sexually.tution in Stockholm City fell significantly during theyear, while the social services’ KAST project saw anincrease in the number of men who sought help tostop purchasing sexual services 76 . Approximately sevenout of ten sex-purchasers in Stockholm admit purchasingsex as soon as they are found and then receivean order of summary punishment 77 . The punishmentfor attempting to purchase sexual services is still afine of 30 times daily income, while the penalty forthe full offence leads to a fine of 50 times dailyincome. Despite the fact that one man was reportedten times for purchasing sexual services in 2011, hewas still only sentenced to fines based on dailyincome 78 .In 2011, the Prostitution Team drew up more than200 reports concerning the purchase of sexual serviceswhich were investigated by the Human TraffickingTeam in the City Police Commissioner District. Legalproceedings were brought in most cases. The groupalso prepared 15 reports on procuring, which werealso investigated by the Human Trafficking Team inthe City Police Commissioner District. The ProstitutionTeam arrested eight people from Lithuania andone from Sweden for procuring. Of these, six weresentenced to prison terms of between four monthsand one year.In 2011, several Lithuanian criminal gangs weredetected which were trafficking Lithuanian womenfor sexual purposes into Sweden. Everyone involvedcame from the same area in northern Lithuania,Siauliai, and used similar methods. Most frequently,two Lithuanian pimps travelled to Sweden by ferry inthe company of two Lithuanian women who were to76 Kast - Köpare Av Sexuella Tjänster [Eng: Purchasers of sexualservices]. A municipal initiative in Stockholm, Gothenburgand Malmö which is aimed at those who purchase sexual services,or are thinking of purchasing sex.77 Police assistant Simon Häggström, Prostitution Team inStockholm City.78 Police assistant Simon Häggström, Prostitution Team inStockholm City.