SVT Nyheter Jämtland requested all judgments concerning the purchase of sexual services from 2020 to 2025 in Jämtland County. Six judgments were found at Östersund District Court. The most recent judgment is from January 2024, where a man was sentenced to a conditional sentence and 40 day-fines of 150 kronor. Criminal Inspector Sten Sundin in Östersund is not satisfied with the statistics. According to SVT Nyheter, Sten Sundin described that the police have not succeeded in capturing these moments and being able to resource them, attributing it to not following the flow frequently.
A regional comparison reveals stark contrasts within the Police Region North, which includes the four northernmost counties. In the entire region, 28 men were prosecuted last year. The absolute majority, 23, were convicted in Västerbotten. David Westlin, the head of the Jämtland police district, is well aware of the large differences between the counties.
We have not succeeded in the past year in capturing these moments and being able to resource them. And it's about us not following the flow frequently, simply.
In response, Jämtland will now start working more like Västerbotten. A success factor is that the police in Västerbotten work hard to build relationships with both prostitutes and sex buyers. According to SVT Nyheter, David Westlin described that Västerbotten has used a working method that involves more outreach and proactive work, which Jämtland has not quite gotten started with. He added that they will try to learn from Umeå and see what can be done based on local conditions, though there is no exact date for implementation, with his intention being to shed light on the issue and get momentum during the year.
The Women's Shelter in Jämtland County regularly meets women who are exposed in prostitution. In Norrland, the women's shelters in Östersund and Umeå are certified. The certification means they can receive and provide support and help to women who are exposed in prostitution. It also means that if a woman in, for example, Skåne needs protection, she can be placed with them. According to SVT Jämtlandsnytt, Sara Eriksson described that it is important that the women meet an organization that has knowledge and experience, so it is a certification they are very proud of.
Västerbotten has used a working method that involves more outreach and proactive work, which we have not quite gotten started with here.
So far this year, the Women's Shelter has had contact with 132 women. It is a non-profit association that has four employees but also volunteers. It has existed in Östersund since 1982. Since then, approximately 1500 women and children have lived for a period of their lives at the shelter. The Women's Shelter in Jämtland County cannot say exactly how many women they meet who are exposed in prostitution because they do not keep statistics in that way. According to SVT Jämtlandsnytt, Sara Eriksson described that generally, most of the women have been exposed to sexual abuse and rapes at a very young age and carry that trauma, making them vulnerable from the start. She also noted that the women come from various places, including Jämtland, Romania, or other parts of the world, with their commonality being their vulnerability, not their origin.
The lack of convictions for sex buyers in Jämtland County in 2025 is a failing grade for the police's work. This assessment highlights ongoing challenges in enforcement, with the exact number of women exposed in prostitution currently in Jämtland County remaining unclear, and it is uncertain whether the low conviction rate reflects a decrease in actual sex purchase crimes or shortcomings in police enforcement. The specific reasons why Jämtland police have not been able to secure more convictions compared to Västerbotten, along with the detailed timeline and concrete steps for implementing new proactive strategies, have not been fully detailed. The impact of the Women's Shelter's certification on reducing prostitution or supporting victims in Jämtland County also remains to be seen.
We will try to learn from Umeå and see what we can do here based on our local conditions.
There is no exact date, but my intention now is to shed light on the issue and get some momentum in this work during the year.
How many exactly it involves we cannot say because we do not keep statistics in that way, but generally you can say that the vast majority have been exposed to sexual abuse and rapes at a very young age and carry that trauma. So they are vulnerable from the start.
It is very varied. Someone born here in Jämtland. Someone comes from, for example, Romania or another part of the world. The commonality is not their origin but their vulnerability.
That means we can receive and provide support and help to women who are exposed in prostitution.
It also means that if it is a woman in, for example, Skåne who needs protection, she can be placed with us.
It is important that the women meet an organization that has knowledge and experience. So it is a certification that we are very proud of.