Websites that market physical sexual acts for payment in Sweden have been identified and mapped by researchers in a forthcoming report from the Swedish Equality Authority. A total of 46 sites were identified, of which data was collected from 34 of the most visited.
However, we believe that these are just scratching the surface. There are many more than the ones we have identified,” says Lisa Kaati, researcher at Stockholm University.
Around 13,000 profiles marketing sexual services have been mapped. The majority are aimed at metropolitan regions, with Stockholm being the most common.
English and Spanish
Around 85 percent of the profiles state that they are women. English is the most common language, followed by Swedish, Spanish and Italian. Country of origin is also indicated here, something that Kaati says should be interpreted with caution.
The information provided in the profiles may not always be the truth, but rather what is believed to be what those purchasing the services want. Previous research often shows this to be the case.
The report contains several indications of human trafficking. Among other things, the same phone number appears on different profiles, which indicates that there may be an organization behind it. On one site, 15 numbers were found that recurred between 10 and 40 times.
The researchers have also mapped around 30,000 reviews.
So these are people who have committed a criminal act who come in and review their crime. And they are written for others who are also going to commit criminal acts, so that this is really normalized. It sounds a bit like they are reviewing a piece of clothing or some gadget they bought, says Lisa Kaati.
Human trafficking
Sometimes it is clear that the person understands that it may be human trafficking, for example when they write that the person they met was not the same person as in the picture.
There can also be comments like "I got trafficking vibes from the whole thing."
The report shows that many profiles promote acts that can be risky for the person selling sex, such as “unprotected ejaculation” or BDSM. At the same time, there are reviews that describe the people not wanting to commit to what is promised in the ad.
It may be that the ads are not written by those who perform these sexual acts.
The report will be published in December.
On January 1, 1999, Sweden became the first country in the world to introduce legislation that criminalized the purchase, but not the sale, of sexual services.
The idea was that prostitution would be seen as part of men's violence against women, which is why it became important to place the responsibility on the perpetrators and not on the victims.
On August 1, 2022, the penalty for buying sex was increased, from a fine to imprisonment for a maximum of one year. However, it is very unusual for a prison sentence to be imposed – instead, most people are given a suspended sentence, according to a Brå investigation.
Since 2018, when the new Sexual Offences Act was introduced, there has also been an opening in the law to convict sex buyers of rape or negligent rape. This is because the law is based on the principle that all sex should be voluntary.
Source: Gender Equality Authority, Swedish Crime Prevention Council (Brå)
