The government writes in the legislative council referral that "more cases of fraud should be assessed as serious crimes and result in harsher penalties", by placing extra emphasis on whether "the perpetrator has exploited the victim's vulnerable or exposed position in a ruthless manner or if the act has been part of organized or systematic criminal activity".
Vulnerable or exposed position can in this case, for example, refer to an elderly person.
The government also proposes that one should be able to be convicted of child rape and sexual assault of children if one "performs sexual intercourse or another sexual act with a child under 18 years of age" and exploits the fact that the child, due to for example "mental illness or disability, has a reduced ability to protect their sexual integrity".
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) says according to a press release:
"This is important because we, through these legislative changes, strengthen the protection for some of the most vulnerable in our society. This includes, for example, children with disabilities or who are suffering from severe mental health issues and are subjected to sexual abuse. It also includes other groups, such as the elderly when they are subjected to fraud. It is important that the penalties in these cases better reflect the seriousness of the crimes than they do today, and now we are making sure that happens".
The legislative changes are proposed to come into effect on July 1 this year.
