In recent years, the police have been forced to allocate increasing resources to combat gang crime, which has led to a deprioritization of efforts against human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Human trafficking units have been disbanded, while the number of prosecutions and convictions has reached record low levels.
Human Trafficking Units Disbanded
In an article in Dagens Arena, Helena Björk discusses how the police’s work against human trafficking for sexual exploitation has been deprioritized as more effort is directed towards tackling gang crime. The human trafficking units in the police regions of West and South were disbanded around the turn of the year 2022-2023, and in the Central region, all specialized investigators have been loaned out. There are no human trafficking units in the Eastern and Northern regions.
No Convictions for Human Trafficking
At the same time, we also see a decrease in the number of indictments and convictions for human trafficking for sexual exploitation. In 2023, only one individual has been charged with the crime, which did not lead to a conviction. Last year, 2022, not a single person was prosecuted. This does not mean that the prevalence of human trafficking in Sweden has decreased, but rather that the crime has not been prioritized. In 2022, the regional coordinators of the county administrative boards identified 223 women or girls suspected of being victims of human trafficking, the majority for sexual exploitation. The dark figure is believed to be significant.
A Need for Demoralization of Gang Crime
After reviewing this information, RealStars spoke with Stefan Adamsson, a criminal inspector with the police in Gothenburg, who confirms that the human trafficking unit has been disbanded and that the police’s capacity to work against human trafficking has diminished.
– “The idea is that the work against human trafficking should be part of the regular operations of the Section for International Organized Crime (IGOB). Human trafficking will need to compete with other priority areas, such as serious drug offenses, weapons offenses, and gang crime. However, several local police areas are sporadically working against prostitution and human trafficking,” says Stefan.
Stefan Adamsson states that there are no plans to reinstate the human trafficking unit, and that what would be required is a “demoralization” of gang crime as well as a decision to prioritize the work against human trafficking.
Victims Left Behind
RealStars finds this development regrettable. Disbanding human trafficking units is leaving some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society behind. Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a severe violation of human rights that often results in severe trauma for the victims. It is uncommon for victims to contact the police themselves due to fears of what traffickers might do if they report them. Many are afraid that they or their families will be subjected to violence or other reprisals. Other reasons include a low trust in authorities, fear of being forced to leave the country, or that they themselves do not perceive that they are victims of a crime.
Increased Latitude for Criminals
As crime victims rarely report offenses, the police must work actively to identify human trafficking and related crimes such as pimping. What makes human trafficking so attractive to criminals is the high profitability combined with a low risk of prosecution and conviction for the crime. When efforts against human trafficking are deprioritized, this risk becomes even lower, giving traffickers increased latitude. RealStars is deeply concerned about how the disbandment of human trafficking units affects the ability to combat all prostitution-related crimes, such as sex purchases and pimping. We still have not seen a prison sentence for purchasing sex, and when efforts against human trafficking weaken, the police’s chances of identifying and prosecuting sex buyers also decline. Additionally, this could lead to lower penalties and a tendency to convict for pimping rather than for human trafficking. Pimping convictions increased somewhat during 2021 and 2022, but the reasons for this are uncertain. No figures for 2023 are available yet, but RealStars sees a significant risk that the scaling back of efforts against human trafficking will make it easier for sex buyers, pimps, and traffickers to continue committing crimes and evade punishment.
Greater Responsibility on Other Actors
RealStars demands that the human trafficking units be reinstated as soon as possible. Combating gang crime is important, but it should not come at the expense of the victims of prostitution. Until efforts against human trafficking are prioritized again, a significant responsibility will rest on civil society, the business community, regional coordinators, and other actors to prevent and identify prostitution and human trafficking, to assist those affected, and to report suspected crimes to the police. Combating human trafficking should always be a priority for the justice system, regardless of what is happening in the rest of society.