In the beginning of November, it was time for the EU’s autumn conference and meetings for civil society organizations and national rapporteurs in Brussels. The Commission and the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator hosted the events, but the country holding the presidency left its mark. This term, the presidency was held by Spain, a country that in recent years has been moving towards adopting a sex purchase law. Currently, progress on this front has stalled, but there is a movement in Spain advocating for the criminalization of offenders.
From RealStars’ perspective, it was encouraging that during the conference, Spain highlighted ongoing work within the digital dimension of human trafficking, which today is dominant. This is what RealStars often refers to as “digital brothels.” A Spanish team is set to produce a report this fall, examining the situation and gathering information from all EU countries on how they handle online platforms and digital technology that promote human trafficking. The internet is used throughout the entire chain—from recruiting vulnerable people to posting ads that sell individuals as commodities. Through various digital tools, criminals find new ways to take control, increasing vulnerability. At the same time, these crimes and many of the victims remain invisible, with few aware of what is happening. RealStars looks forward to the report’s findings!
There is much left to be desired, as is often the case. We observed that authorities are far behind in addressing the criminal development. For RealStars, it was also clear that there was an attempt to downplay the fact that there are significant shortcomings in the tools and legislation of both individual countries and the EU for conducting cross-border investigations. Such investigations are necessary for holding perpetrators accountable and shutting down sites containing criminal content that promotes human trafficking. There are extremely few cases where national police and judicial authorities have managed to prosecute offenders and put an end to criminal activity. RealStars’ Secretary-General, Malin Roux Johansson, has held several meetings over the past six months to highlight these shortcomings and propose necessary measures, as outlined in the op-ed we co-authored with Thomas Ahlstrand in October.
EU Anti-Trafficking Directive
Negotiations on the 2011 Anti-Trafficking Directive are currently underway. The directive has been evaluated, and new proposals have been presented. Those of us advocating for strengthening the directive, for example, through legislation against “sex purchase,” have contributed. Today, the directive faces several issues. One obstacle is the divided view on prostitution across Europe, with national laws related to human trafficking—such as sex purchase and pimping—varying between countries. At the same time, the Nordic Model is gaining ground. A strong signal came on September 14 this year, when the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on other EU countries to implement the Swedish sex purchase law, or the Equality Model, as it is known when countries like France have followed suit.
Policymakers have listened to many women who have survived prostitution and emphasized that prostitution is not a form of work. Instead, it is inherently violent, deeply inhumane, and rooted in discrimination.
We now hope that the EU directive will move in the same direction, even if it may take time for countries to fully adopt a sex purchase law. However, what we consider obvious and long overdue is the introduction of strict liability for those who exploit victims of human trafficking. The current proposal suggests that liability only applies in cases of “knowing use,” a standard already adopted by countries like Finland and Germany. However, we see that this approach does not work in practice. It is difficult to prove that offenders knew a person was a victim of human trafficking, and no offender such as a sex buyer would admit to knowing this. As a result, convictions are rare, with only a few exceptions.
Visit to France
After Brussels, the next stop was Paris, where we held meetings and exchanged experiences with other organizations in the abolitionist movement, including CAP (Coalition Abolition Prostitution) and Fondation Scelles.
France has pursued a proactive approach to fighting the prostitution system, which commodifies women’s bodies. France’s sex purchase law is more far-reaching than Sweden’s, viewing those exploited in prostitution as victims of crime. Since 2016, 1,247 individuals—almost all women and girls from marginalized groups—have accessed a state-funded exit program. These programs have transformed lives, with as many as 95 percent of participants leaving prostitution.
Since the law was introduced, 8,000 men have been convicted of purchasing sex. Unlike Sweden, France has also introduced mandatory one-day courses for convicted sex buyers. These courses, paid for by the offenders themselves, include meetings with and testimonies from survivors. Participants have reported gaining a better understanding of what prostitution entails and why the law is necessary. Eighty percent of the men who attended the course stated they want to stop buying sex afterward.
In Paris, we also learned about Zero Machos’ efforts, an organization RealStars first met in 2010. Zero Machos engages men to take a stand against sex purchase. The organization investigated “massage parlors” in Paris and found that 378 of them doubled as brothels where prostitution occurred. This is described as a scandal requiring urgent action. We in Sweden can only agree, and for us at RealStars, it seems likely that the situation in Stockholm is even worse. For several years, RealStars has been conducting outreach to Thai massage parlors in the capital and shares the police’s assessment that prostitution occurs at around 80 percent of these establishments.
To stop sexual exploitation, we must make it visible. We must talk about the offenders, recognize those who are vulnerable, and offer support. We must act against sexual violence and, of course, work strategically to prevent these crimes in the long term. On October 18 this year, coinciding with the EU’s Anti-Trafficking Day, the EU launched its first campaign against human trafficking, Break the Invisible Chain. This campaign also highlights the need to raise awareness and act, making exploitation visible so we can stop it.
Malin Roux Johansson, Founder and Secretary-General