Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Aggravated Rape of Women in Prostitution
Stockholm, Sweden – In a landmark verdict, a man in his 30s has been sentenced to seven years in prison for two cases of aggravated rape against women in prostitution. The abuses, which occurred last winter, involved the man raping several women at knifepoint in different locations across Stockholm.
The Solna district court delivered the verdict after a thorough investigation and the courageous testimony of the plaintiffs, who came forward to share their harrowing experiences. Four cases of rape with a similar modus operandi were examined, resulting in charges being brought in one case, while another case was dropped when the plaintiff declined to participate in the district court hearing.
In addition to the seven-year prison sentence, the convicted man will face deportation and is required to pay a total of SEK 630,000 in damages to the victims. These convictions mark a crucial moment, emphasizing the vulnerabilities faced by individuals in prostitution.
Anna Josefsson, an investigator at the human trafficking section in the Stockholm region, highlighted the importance of the verdict. “It shows how vulnerable these girls are, that a customer suddenly pulls out a knife and commits a serious crime against them,” she said. Adding to this sentiment, Susanne Svensson, an investigator and preliminary investigation leader at the human trafficking section, stated, “The verdict also shows that the police, prosecutors, and courts actually take these people seriously. It has no significance whatsoever that these girls were in prostitution; they have been subjected to serious sexual crimes.”
Detectives who worked with outreach activities played a crucial role in initiating these cases. Building trust and rapport with individuals in prostitution helps encourage more people to come forward and report such crimes. “It is important that you manage to catch this kind of thing when it has happened. In these cases, the girls have spoken very well about what happened and dared to express their fear and vulnerability – they have feared for their lives,” Josefsson emphasized.
While the prosecutor originally requested a nine-year prison sentence, the investigators expressed satisfaction with the imposed sentence of seven years. However, they also highlighted the systematic, planned, and heinous nature of the crimes. “At first glance, seven years is a good punishment by Swedish standards. At the same time, the crimes are systematic, planned, and gross – he had a knife with him. Had he not been stopped, there would certainly have been more victims,” Svensson stated.
Human trafficking remains a priority area for the police in Sweden. The objective is to eradicate organized crime involvement in this type of crime and make the country an unattractive market for such activities. The courage demonstrated by the victims and the commitment of law enforcement authorities to tackle these heinous crimes are crucial steps towards achieving this goal.
Published on October 13, 2023, at 8:54 am by the Stockholm County Police.