Buy Sex, Pay with Prison — since 2022
The Swedish Sexual Purchase Act was tightened up as of 1 August 2022 in order to countercheck the trade in human bodies. Presently the lowest possible penalty is a prison sentence of up to one year or a conditional sentence, and the option of a fine alone has been removed from the range of penalties. When the victim is below the age of 18, penalties for convictions are stricter.
The Swedish Sexual Purchase Act and the efforts to countercheck prostitution and human trafficking
In Sweden the purchasing of “sexual favors” was made illegal in 1999, since which time Sweden has had high ambitions as regards efforts to counteract sexual trafficking. The point of departure of the Swedish Sexual Purchase Act is that prostitution is harmful both to the individual and to society as a whole. In other words, purchasing sex is paying for sexual assault. The day no one any longer ”buys sex,” there will be no more prostitution. There is help available! See below.
The Sexual Purchase Act was pioneering legislation in that it placed the responsibility with the perpetrator. The purchaser, who is buying access to the body of another person, is committing a crime. The person who is being exploited is not guilty of a crime. Society must offer both protection to the victim, the vulnerable party, and support, and the possibility of exiting. A number of other countries have followed the Swedish example and passed Sexual Purchase Acts of their own.
The prostitution system
The most frequent prostitution situation is one in which a man exploits the vulnerability of another person. Women and children are particularly vulnerable and are often also victims of human trafficking. Sexual exploitation is an industry in which traffickers and pimps make huge amounts of money from the buyers of sex. A prostitution arrangement is not two equal parties negotiating for a ”service” – an agreement which can be voided. Money, threats and violence create a sort of forced ”consent” In other words, “buying sex” is paying for assault. For the person who is the victim of the perpetrator’s actions, such exploitation often results in lifelong harm and trauma.
Different arenas
This type of sexual exploitation can be found everywhere in Sweden, including in hotels, in Thai massage salons, and in the apartment next door to yours. Prostitution is often arranged via ”digital brothels”. What is known as “sugar dating” is nearly always really covert prostitution.
The work of the police is important
The active efforts of the police in supporting the Sexual Purchase Act are decisive to bringing sexual exploitation in Sweden to an end. These efforts make it possible to identify the victims of crime and to trace the human traffickers. The legislation also has a normative effect, signaling the fundamental values on which Swedish society rests. If perpetrators go free, the effect is precisely the opposite, enabling sex purchasers to continue committing crimes and preventing the victims from getting help.
COMMON MYTHS ABOUT BUYING SEX AND PROSTITUTION
💥 SELLING SEX IS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER JOB
💥 MEN CANNOT CONTROL THEIR SEX DRIVE
💥 SEX PURCHASING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS AND IS THUS A PRIVATE MATTER
💥 THE SEXUAL PURCHASE ACT MAKES PROSTITUTION MORE DANGEROUS AND FORCES IT UNDERGROUND
Do you need support do you don’t commit the crime of buying sex?
Are you a victim?
Bergslagen regional coordinator for combatting prostitution and human trafficking.
If you need help, phone Johanna at +46 (0)54 540 84 91 or Sara at +46 (0)54 540 49 54, Bergslagen regional coordinator for combatting prostitution and human trafficking.
If you need urgent help, phone 112.
Do you suspect you have seen someone buying sex or exploiting someone sexually?
If you hear someone normalizing buying sex, say something. Read the myths described above concerning prostitution and buying sex – mentioning them will take down most of the common misunderstandings.
Call the police at 114 14 or go to a police station if you suspect you have seen someone violating the Sexual Purchase Act.
In Sweden crimes against the Sexual Purchase Act take place in many different places, and the police need information and tips from the general public in order to be able to identify people at risk and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted. Your tips may provide the missing piece in a puzzle that can help to stop a crime!
This project is a collaborative effort of the Karlstad municipality and RealStars.
RealStars is a non-profit organization, founded in 2010, and we campaign in Sweden and throughout the EU for Fair Sex and a better world free from sexual trafficking by disseminating information and thus increasing people’s knowledge and spreading our message: Fair Sex – sex on equal terms. In the public debate, we countercheck sexual exploitation and the demand which drives prostitution. We work at different levels: within the EU and at both corporate and individual levels. This work is being financed primarily through project funding and activity funding from various public authorities and municipalities.