Trafficking in human beings for sexual and other purposes - Polisen

1. Summary61. SummaryTrafficking in human beings is, by its nature, a crimeagainst the person and it is dealt with in the SwedishPenal Code (BrB), Chap. 4, on crimes against libertyand peace (see Annex 2). Criminal liability applies toanyone who, by means of unlawful coercion, deceit,exploitation of a person’s vulnerable situation or anyother such improper means, recruits, transports,transfers, accommodates or receives another person,in order for the person to be exploited for sexual purposes,removal of organs, active military service,forced labour or some other purpose in a situationinvolving distress for the victim. If the victim is under18, the perpetrator will be convicted of human traffickingeven if no improper means have been used inorder to carry out the crime. Common to the circumstancesmentioned in the provision is that they, in variousways, intend to control the victim’s free and truewill, regardless of the intended exploitation.Human trafficking for sexual purposes is a crimethat can occur throughout the country but which, in2011, has mainly been found in and around the metropolitanareas. With regard to cases of trafficking forother purposes such as forced labour, begging andcommitting crimes, these crimes also occur but aremore widespread throughout the country. Some ofthese forms of exploitation, such as begging, are relativelynew occurrences.In all forms of human trafficking, the perpetratorsand the victims who are forced or induced to travel toSweden mostly come from countries of origin wherethere is widespread poverty, high levels of unemployment,discrimination against groups such as womenand minorities, and also a lack of any social securitynetwork. Usually the victims are in such a vulnerablesituation that they cannot turn down an offer of workin another country, despite that offer possibly involvinga risk of exploitation. Increasing mobility withinthe EU and the Schengen area as a result of the abolitionof border controls, means that criminal networksare also increasingly mobile. These developmentsunderline how important it is for the police and prosecutionauthorities to develop the ability and meansto work across borders.In September 2008, the Swedish government taskedthe Swedish National Police Board and the SwedishProsecution Authority with strengthening operationalinitiatives to combat human trafficking crimes,and expand the development of methodology andskills. This task was allocated extra funding, comprisingSEK 4 million in 2008 and SEK 18 millioneach for 2009 and 2010. In total, the police were allocatedSEK 40 million of which SEK 30 million wereto be used for operational initiatives and SEK 10 millionfor the development of methods and skills for thepolice organisation.The increase in skills for the police authorities combinedwith special funding from 2008-2011 has madeit possible to detect more numerous and more complexhuman trafficking cases. The number of policereports, preliminary investigations initiated, andprosecutions for human trafficking and crimes similarto human trafficking in the same period havetherefore also increased.Police reportsYearTrafficking inhuman beingsfor sexualpurposesProcuring/aggravatedprocuringTrafficking inhuman beings forpurposes otherthan sexual2008 15 51 82009 31 94 282010 32 120 522011 35 86 63Statistics – National Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ) 2012During the period 2008-2011, the number of reportedcases of human trafficking for other purposesincreased in Sweden and also throughout the EU.Among the reasons for this increase is that combatingthese crimes has been made a priority within Europeanlegislative and police work, as well as nationally.The Border Police Divisions in Stockholm andSkåne, during that same period, were given wider