VIDEO from Synaptic Digital and Swedish Institute: Evaluation of the Ban on Purchase of Sexual Services

NEW YORK, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish Ministry of Justice: The inquiry on the evaluation of the ban on purchasing sexual services submitted its report: Forbud Mot Kop av Sexuell Tjanst En utvardering 1999-2008 (Prohibition of the purchase of sexual services: an evaluation 1999-2008) (SOU 2010:49) to Swedish Minister for Justice, Beatrice Ask on July 2nd. The purpose of the evaluation was to investigate how the prohibition, which has been in force for over ten years, works in practice and what effects it has had on the incidence of prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes in Sweden.

See video from Swedish Institute at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/SwedishInstitute_37480

The evaluation shows that the ban on the purchase of sexual services has had the intended effect and that it is an important instrument in preventing and combating prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes.

The Inquiry concluded that prostitution in Sweden, unlike in comparable countries, has not in any case increased since the introduction of the ban. The ban on the purchase of sexual services has also counteracted the establishment of organised crime in Sweden. Hence criminalisation has contributed to combating prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes.

Prohibiting purchases of sexual services also has a normative effect. There has been a marked change in attitude to the purchase of sexual services that coincides with making it a criminal offence to buy sex. There is now strong support for the ban on purchasing sexual services in Sweden. The ban has proved to act as a deterrent to sex purchasers. The Inquiry could find no indication that criminalisation has had a negative effect on people exploited through prostitution.

The investigation of the application of the ban shows that, following an initial period of some uncertainty, police officers and prosecutors now consider that, in general, the application works well. However, it is clear that the effectiveness of application depends on the resources deployed and the priorities made within the judicial system.

Registered journalists can access video, audio, text, graphics and photos at http://www.thenewsmarket.com.

07NY10-0685

SOURCE Synaptic Digital; Swedish Institute