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	Last week the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill, which includes laws to criminalise the purchase of sex and ensure vulnerable women, children and men in prostitution can access support, was passed by D&aacute;il &Eacute;ireann. It is now just one hurdle away from enactment.</p>
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	Earlier this month, Detective Superintendent Kajsa Wahlberg, Swedish National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, visited Ireland to discuss the impact of similar legislation in Sweden, the first country in the world to make paying for sex a criminal offence while simultaneously decriminalising the sale. She discusses the Swedish experience here.</p>
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	In Sweden, prostitution is widely seen as a form of violence against women - both a cause and a consequence of inequality between women and men. At its heart, the Sex Purchase Act, which has been in force since 1999, was designed to tackle this form of violence by discouraging men from paying for sex, while supporting those exploited through prostitution to exit and rebuild their lives. Access to effective support and exiting services for women exploited through the sex trade is essential to the success of the law.</p>
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	We have found an important component of the work to prevent and combat prostitution and trafficking in human beings in Sweden is regular training of law enforcement, prosecutors and judges. The training focuses not only on adequate investigation techniques, but importantly also on attitudes, and underlying principles for legislation, policies and interventions regarding prostitution and trafficking.</p>
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	This is essential, as although prostitution might be a social problem, it is very much linked to criminal activities including trafficking in human beings, drugs, violence and even murder and money laundering. So behind the drive to reduce prostitution, is one to see a reduction in these criminal activities too.</p>
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	We, the police, look upon women in prostitution as a group at risk. There might always be somebody around who plans to hurt these women. It is therefore important the women are not criminalised and subjected to any harassment and punishment. They must feel free to report all kinds of information to the police without being punished. The fact that the women are not criminalised removes the tension between the women in prostitution and the police.</p>
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	Chasing the buyers leads us to the victims and traffickers. In Stockholm, 75pc of women exploited in prostitution originate from foreign countries - many are victims of trafficking.</p>
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	In April 2008, the government appointed a Special Inquiry to evaluate the implementation of the ban against the purchase of sexual services and its effects. It consulted with women and men involved in prostitution, and who have had experiences of prostitution, the police and prosecutions services, social workers, civil society, women&#39;s, human rights and victim support organisations, public authorities, and other key stakeholders.</p>
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	The findings were made public in 2010 and concluded (among other things) that:</p>
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	There is a clear connection between prostitution and trafficking in human beings for sexual purposes;</p>
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	The number of individuals exploited in street prostitution has halved since 1999;</p>
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	Despite a significant increase in prostitution in the neighbouring countries during the past 10 years, there is no evidence of a similar increase in Sweden, which is reasonable to attribute to the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services in Sweden;</p>
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	Only 7.8pc of Swedish men have bought someone for prostitution purposes compared to 13.6pc of Swedish men before the legislation came into force.</p>
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	Laws are not created solely for the purpose of sending people to prison or to fine them. Laws are created because we want people to refrain from certain harmful acts. The legislation came into being as one in a series of preventative laws and measures aimed specifically at the protection of vulnerable women and girls, men and boys against serious acts of sexual violence, but also to create a society where the culture of prostitution is changed into a culture where the human rights of all women and girls are protected.</p>
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	<em>Detective Superintendent Kajsa Wahlberg is Swedish National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings</em></p>
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	<em>(Published by the Irish Independent on the 10th February 2017)</em></p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/sweden-shows-how-ban-on-paying-for-sex-will-combat-abuse-and-human-trafficking-35439064.html"><em>http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/sweden-shows-how-ban-on-paying-for-sex-will-combat-abuse-and-human-trafficking-35439064.html</em></a></p>
