In Utnyttjad, våldtagen och såld, author Paulina Bengtsson recounts her harrowing experiences as a sex slave in Sweden at the age of 22. Her perpetrator, Jim, deceives and manipulates, rapes, and records videos of his crimes. Despite the horrors she endured, Paulina eventually escapes and goes on to found Novahuset, an organization dedicated to supporting other victims of sexual violence. Read Robert Schenck’s review below.
Book Review
Utnyttjad, våldtagen och såld, En sann historia. 
by Paulina Bengtsson and Jessika Devert
Lind & Co AB, Stockholm, 2020/2023
The year is 2001. Paulina Bengtsson is 22 years old and finds Jim on Spraydate. She falls head over heels for him. Could he possibly be the “dream guy”? Four months later she escapes the sex slave hell he subjects her to. About 20 years later she is a nationally renowned lecturer and trained treatment assistant. She runs Novahuset in Linköping, which she founded back in 2008, an association against sexual violence that works primarily with prevention work and counseling.
It is this powerful, lifelong journey that Utnyttjad, våldtagen och såld (Exploited, Raped, and Sold) captures. Paulina’s hell was far from over after her escape. Fear, shame, and guilt continued to haunt her, while the pornographic films she was forced to record remain online to this day. Yet, through professional therapy, group support, her bond with her two daughters, her horses, and her dedication to her work with Novahuset, Paulina found the strength to rebuild her life and help others.
The messages in the book are essential for anyone seeking to understand the realities of abuse. These truths gradually emerge through the author’s story: It is never the victim’s fault—the perpetrator alone is to blame. The book also highlights how a person being abused can maintain the appearance of normalcy, seeming fine to family and friends. The warning signs that something is terribly wrong are often present but frequently overlooked by even the closest loved ones.
The signals are also missed in other contexts. At one point, Jim sells Paulina’s body to five men who gang rape her in a hotel room in Mölndal. Reading about how the hotel staff failed to react to clear warning signs made me reflect on the critical importance of RealStars’ ongoing work to provide training within the hotel and hospitality industry.
When we checked into the hotel in the morning, Jim asked if any guests had come to stay with him, but the receptionist shook his head no. It was incomprehensible to me that no one reacted. I arrived with two men, and one of them asked if any of the other five men had arrived—yet no one thought it was strange. No one questioned why I, the only woman, was with seven men in a room meant for two. I desperately wanted someone to notice what they were putting me through, for someone to react. But I didn’t dare say or do anything. Instead, I smiled at the receptionist, and everything must have seemed perfectly normal—to them. Normal, if you can call seven men and one woman in a hotel room normal.
…
After nearly two hours, they were done. One by one, they left, pulling on their jeans and tying their shoes. I was left sprawled on the bed, almost in the same position as when they began, but now I was a sticky, sore, and broken shell of myself. Jim sat counting money and chatting with Jocke, who had filmed the entire ordeal.
Paulina then locks herself in the bathroom and tries to console herself with the only solution she can think of – taking her own life. Then Jim knocks on the door:
– Come on, it’s time for Jocke and me to get our turn, Jim said as he dragged me into the room and threw me onto the bed.
The book’s subtitle, En sann historia (eng. A True Story), carries an essential message: believe the victim’s story when you hear it. Without training or understanding the context, a police officer, judge, teacher, or even an observer might assume that Paulina ‘agreed’ to the abuse or could have left her abuser at any time. But nothing could be further from the truth. In Paulina’s case, however, she was ultimately believed, and the evidence presented was strong enough to sentence Jim to 14 years in prison—the maximum penalty.
Writing an autobiographical account of abuse in book form involves incredibly difficult decisions. In Utnyttjad, våldtagen och såld, the authors unfortunately don’t always strike the right balance. Part 1, which recounts Paulina’s time in captivity, is too long. It takes up more than half of the book’s 300 pages, and this excessive length detracts from the overall impact and reading experience. While the detailed descriptions of the many abuses serve a vital purpose—helping readers who haven’t experienced abuse to grasp its sheer horror—I found myself wishing for the stylistic precision seen in Part 2, and especially Part 3, to have been applied to Part 1 as well.
The book concludes with an excellent section titled ‘Fakta – Unga och övergrepp’ (eng. ‘Facts – Young People and Abuse’). These pages reinforce the book’s urgent message and underscore Paulina Bengtsson’s extraordinary journey—from a young, vulnerable victim at the start of the book to a conscious, wise, and knowledgeable role model and expert advisor. Below are some impactful quotes from the facts section.
From ‘Till dig som blivit utsatt för övergrepp’ (eng. ‘To You Who Have Been Abused’):
Talk to someone, get help. It can be scary and difficult, but you can’t suppress it. You need to process what happened to have a chance at feeling better.
It’s never your fault, no matter what you did before, during, or after it happened. The person who abused you always bears the responsibility.
From ‘Till vuxna och föräldrar” (eng. ‘For Adults and Parents’):
“Perpetrators are found where children and young people are. Get involved in your child’s online life—try the games they play, follow the social media platforms they like, and discuss what you encounter together. Unfortunately, the neighbor, teacher, or football coach could be a perpetrator. Stay aware.”
“Don’t ban. Don’t threaten. Instead, talk and show that you are there. What do you think will happen if you’ve banned something and something still happens? They won’t tell you, and you may never know.”
Three other books by women who have escaped prostitution (reviews available on this website):
Paid For – My Journey Through Prostitution by Rachel Moran
Prostitution Narratives, stories of survival in the sex trade by Caroline Norma and Melinda Tankard Reist, (red.)
Till männen som köpte min kropp by Louise Amcoff, as told to Tove Sahlin
