Big increase in prostitution reports
Published: 27 Jul 10 17:54 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/28034/20100727/
The number of people reported to the police for buying sex has risen five-fold in Sweden in the past year, according to new figures.
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A large part of the rise - 430 cases - was due to the discovery of a major prostitution ring in Jämtland county, north-western Sweden. But even when these cases are discounted, the figures had more than doubled.
But police said the dramatic increase was probably not due to a sudden rise in the number of men visiting prostitutes. Rather, they credit increased measures to tackle prostitution and human trafficking. An extra 40 million kronor has been allocated this year to pay for training and strengthening of the police’s operations against the sex trade.
“The figures are absolutely a result of the fact that the police have been given the means to dive deep into this,” said Chief Inspector Kajsa Wahlberg, who advises the government on human trafficking issues.
The national pattern was reflected in Sweden’s major cities. In Skåne, which includes Malmö, some 20 cases of paying for sex were reported during the whole of 2009. So far this year, 50 cases have been reported. There, the extra money has been used to increase internet monitoring of the sex trade, which has resulted both in more reports of people paying for sex and in a fall in street prostitution.
Västra Götaland, which includes Gothenburg, also saw a big increase in reports:
“I wouldn’t say that everything is hunky-dory. But it’s a big increase and it’s clear that we can be pleased with the good results,” said Mats Palmgren, deputy head of the police in greater Gothenburg.
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Sex is a service. Regulate it. Tax it.
But honestly can someone tell me why prostitution should not be legalised in this country, more sex trade is going on more than we can ever imagine.
Just make this oldest trade legal and enforce tax payment, that 40 million bucks should be useful elsewhere in my opinion.
the more one thinks this law out the sillier it gets!
While prostitutes cannot work in Sweden, the customes go massively to other countries (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Thailand) where women's righs basically don't exist.
Instead of legalizing and give rights to people that work in something that will always exist (here or in the nearest border), they just deny it and move the problem elsewhere so that they can brag at how advanced their society is. Hipocrites.
As for prostitutes, can anyone think of anything more boring than an encounter with a Swedish prostitute
I once tuned into a Swedish porn movie on one of the cable networks and while the women were attractive, it looked as if everyone had just popped a bottle of tranquilizers.