Case No B 9732-09
Palabras clave
Informacíon procesal
1st Instance:
Court: Stockholms tingsrätt (Eng: Stockholm District Court)
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Date of decision: November 19, 2009
Reference: B 10675-09
2nd Instance:
Court: Svea Court of appeal (Sw: Svea Hovrätt)
Location: Stockholm
Date of decision: February 26, 2010
Reference: B 9732-09
Víctima / Demandantes de primera instancia
Acusado / Demandado de primera instancia
resumen de los hechos
The two men convinced the two 16 year old boys’ parents to let them go with the men to Sweden, where they had promised that it would be easy to get jobs.
They flew from Romania, via London to Stockholm Skavsta Airport. The crime was first discovered when the two boys stole a car on the day after their arrival, on May 7, 2009, and were arrested by the Police in Nyköping. The suspicions increased after a few incidents where the boys were arrested for shoplifting.
Cargos/Reclamación/Decisión
Chapter 4, Section 1 a) of the Swedish Penal Code, the latest change was made on July 1, 2010. Since the case was before 2010, the old version was applicable:
Former version 4 kap. 1 a § BrB - SFS 2005:90
Unofficial translation:
Chapter 4, Section 1 a of the Swedish Penal Code - A person who, in other cases than those referred to in Section 1, uses unlawful coercion or
deceit, exploits another person’s vulnerable situation or by some other such improper means
recruits, transports, harbours, receives or takes any other such action with a person and
thereby takes control over this person with the intent that this person shall
1. be subjected to an offence under Chapter 6, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, be exploited for
casual sexual relations or be exploited for sexual purposes in some other way,
2. be exploited for military service or forced labour or any such state of coercion,
3. be exploited for the removal of organs, or
4. be exploited in some other way that places that person in distress,
shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings to imprisonment, for at least two years
and at most ten years.
This shall also apply to a person who, for the purposes stated in the first paragraph,
1. transfers control over a person to another, or
2. takes over control over a person from another.
A person who commits an act referred to in the first paragraph against a person who is under eighteen years of age shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings even if none of the improper means described in that paragraph was used.
If an offence referred to in the first to third paragraphs is less serious, the sentence shall be
imprisonment for at most four years. SFS 2005:90
Text in original language (Swedish):
4 kap. 1 a § BrB - Den som, i annat fall än som avses i 1 §, med användande av olaga tvång eller vilseledande, med utnyttjande av någons utsatta belägenhet eller med något annat sådant otillbörligt medel rekryterar, transporterar, inhyser, tar emot eller vidtar någon annan sådan åtgärd med en person, och därigenom tar kontroll över personen, i syfte att personen skall
1. utsättas för brott enligt 6 kap. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 eller 6 §, utnyttjas för tillfälliga sexuella förbindelser eller på annat sätt utnyttjas för sexuella ändamål,
2. utnyttjas i krigstjänst eller tvångsarbete eller annat sådant tvångstillstånd,
3. utnyttjas för avlägsnande av organ, eller
4. på annat sätt utnyttjas i en situation som innebär nödläge för den utsatte, döms för människohandel till fängelse i lägst två och högst tio år.
Detsamma gäller den som i sådant syfte som anges i första stycket,
1. till annan för över kontrollen över en person, eller
2. från annan tar emot kontrollen över en person.
Den som begår en gärning som avses i första stycket mot en person som inte har fyllt arton år skall dömas för människohandel även om inte något sådant otillbörligt medel som anges där har använts.
Är ett brott som avses i första–tredje styckena mindre grovt, döms till fängelse i högst fyra år.
SFS 2005:90
New version:
Current text - SFS 2010:371
Unofficial translation:
Chapter 4, Section 1 a of the Swedish Penal Code - A person who, in other cases than those referred to in Section 1, uses unlawful coercion or deceit, exploits another person’s vulnerable situation or by some other such improper means recruits, transports, harbours, receives a person with the intent that this person shall be exploited for sexual purposes, removal of organs, military service, forced labour or other activities in a situation that implies a situation of distress for the victim, shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings to imprisonment for at least two years and at most ten years.
A person who commits an act referred to in the first paragraph against a person who is under eighteen years of age shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings even if none of the improper means described in that paragraph was used.
If an offence referred to in the first or second paragraphs is less serious, the sentence shall be imprisonment for at most four years.
SFS 2010:371
Text in original language (Swedish):
4 kap. 1 a § BrB - Den som, i annat fall än som avses i 1 §, genom olaga tvång, vilseledande, utnyttjande av någons utsatta belägenhet eller med annat sådant otillbörligt medel rekryterar, transporterar, överför, inhyser eller tar emot en person i syfte att han eller hon ska exploateras för sexuella ändamål, avlägsnande av organ, krigstjänst, tvångsarbete eller annan verksamhet i en situation som innebär nödläge för den utsatte, döms för människohandel till fängelse i lägst två och högst tio år.
Den som begår en gärning som avses i första stycket mot en person som inte har fyllt arton år döms för människohandel även om inte något sådant otillbörligt medel som anges där har använts.
Är ett brott som avses i första eller andra stycket mindre grovt, döms till fängelse i högst fyra år. SFS 2010:371
The prosecutor claimed that the 2 Romanian men had convinced two 16 year old boys to go with them to Sweden, where it would be easy for them to get jobs. It was stated that the two men misled the boys’ parents to agree to send them to Sweden. It was stated that the two boys were forced to join a theft tour. The court came to the conclusion that the two men should not be convicted of human trafficking. The boys were never under threat or locked up. The two boys also had a phone, which they could use, and they never expressed that they needed help from their families or the police. It could therefore be concluded that the boys were never under such pressure and control that was required to convict the men of human trafficking.
2nd instance: Svea Court of Appeal decided to change the judgement of the first instance and the defendant was convicted of human trafficking in accordance with chapter 4, section 1 of the Swedish Penal Code. The defendant was sentenced to one year in prison and was also required (severally with the second defendant) to pay SEK 60,000 in damages to the two victims. The defendant was also expelled from the country and is not allowed to return to Sweden before February 26, 2015.
The Svea Court of Appeal held that that the two offenders had a decisive influence over the two boys. The boys only spoke Romanian and were in a foreign country with two older men. The two victims did not have any money and were totally dependent on the older men to find jobs and be supported. Further the Svea Court of Appeal found that the offenders persuaded the boys to steal. The fact that the two 16 year old boys might have agreed to steal was of no importance in relation to the criminal judgement of the acts. The offender was therefore convicted of human trafficking.
Chapter 4, Section 1 a) of the Swedish Penal Code, the latest change was made on July 1, 2010. Since the case was before 2010, the old version was applicable:
Former version 4 kap. 1 a § BrB - SFS 2005:90
Unofficial translation:
Chapter 4, Section 1 a of the Swedish Penal Code - A person who, in other cases than those referred to in Section 1, uses unlawful coercion or
deceit, exploits another person’s vulnerable situation or by some other such improper means
recruits, transports, harbours, receives or takes any other such action with a person and
thereby takes control over this person with the intent that this person shall
1. be subjected to an offence under Chapter 6, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, be exploited for
casual sexual relations or be exploited for sexual purposes in some other way,
2. be exploited for military service or forced labour or any such state of coercion,
3. be exploited for the removal of organs, or
4. be exploited in some other way that places that person in distress,
shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings to imprisonment, for at least two years
and at most ten years.
This shall also apply to a person who, for the purposes stated in the first paragraph,
1. transfers control over a person to another, or
2. takes over control over a person from another.
A person who commits an act referred to in the first paragraph against a person who is under eighteen years of age shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings even if none of the improper means described in that paragraph was used.
If an offence referred to in the first to third paragraphs is less serious, the sentence shall be
imprisonment for at most four years. SFS 2005:90
Text in original language (Swedish):
4 kap. 1 a § BrB - Den som, i annat fall än som avses i 1 §, med användande av olaga tvång eller vilseledande, med utnyttjande av någons utsatta belägenhet eller med något annat sådant otillbörligt medel rekryterar, transporterar, inhyser, tar emot eller vidtar någon annan sådan åtgärd med en person, och därigenom tar kontroll över personen, i syfte att personen skall
1. utsättas för brott enligt 6 kap. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 eller 6 §, utnyttjas för tillfälliga sexuella förbindelser eller på annat sätt utnyttjas för sexuella ändamål,
2. utnyttjas i krigstjänst eller tvångsarbete eller annat sådant tvångstillstånd,
3. utnyttjas för avlägsnande av organ, eller
4. på annat sätt utnyttjas i en situation som innebär nödläge för den utsatte, döms för människohandel till fängelse i lägst två och högst tio år.
Detsamma gäller den som i sådant syfte som anges i första stycket,
1. till annan för över kontrollen över en person, eller
2. från annan tar emot kontrollen över en person.
Den som begår en gärning som avses i första stycket mot en person som inte har fyllt arton år skall dömas för människohandel även om inte något sådant otillbörligt medel som anges där har använts.
Är ett brott som avses i första–tredje styckena mindre grovt, döms till fängelse i högst fyra år.
SFS 2005:90
New version:
Current text - SFS 2010:371
Unofficial translation:
Chapter 4, Section 1 a of the Swedish Penal Code - A person who, in other cases than those referred to in Section 1, uses unlawful coercion or deceit, exploits another person’s vulnerable situation or by some other such improper means recruits, transports, harbours, receives a person with the intent that this person shall be exploited for sexual purposes, removal of organs, military service, forced labour or other activities in a situation that implies a situation of distress for the victim, shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings to imprisonment for at least two years and at most ten years.
A person who commits an act referred to in the first paragraph against a person who is under eighteen years of age shall be sentenced for trafficking in human beings even if none of the improper means described in that paragraph was used.
If an offence referred to in the first or second paragraphs is less serious, the sentence shall be imprisonment for at most four years.
SFS 2010:371
Text in original language (Swedish):
4 kap. 1 a § BrB - Den som, i annat fall än som avses i 1 §, genom olaga tvång, vilseledande, utnyttjande av någons utsatta belägenhet eller med annat sådant otillbörligt medel rekryterar, transporterar, överför, inhyser eller tar emot en person i syfte att han eller hon ska exploateras för sexuella ändamål, avlägsnande av organ, krigstjänst, tvångsarbete eller annan verksamhet i en situation som innebär nödläge för den utsatte, döms för människohandel till fängelse i lägst två och högst tio år.
Den som begår en gärning som avses i första stycket mot en person som inte har fyllt arton år döms för människohandel även om inte något sådant otillbörligt medel som anges där har använts.
Är ett brott som avses i första eller andra stycket mindre grovt, döms till fängelse i högst fyra år. SFS 2010:371
The prosecutor claimed that the 2 Romanian men had convinced two 16 year old boys to go with them to Sweden, where it would be easy for them to get jobs. It was stated that the two men misled the boys’ parents to agree to send them to Sweden. It was stated that the two boys were forced to join a theft tour. The court came to the conclusion that the two men should not be convicted of human trafficking. The boys were never under threat or locked up. The two boys also had a phone, which they could use, and they never expressed that they needed help from their families or the police. It could therefore be concluded that the boys were never under such pressure and control that was required to convict the men of human trafficking.
2nd instance: Svea Court of Appeal decided to change the judgement of the first instance and the defendant was convicted of human trafficking in accordance with chapter 4 section 1 in the Swedish penal code. The defendant was sentenced to one year in prison and was also required (severally with the second defendant) to pay SEK 60,000 in damages to the two victims. The defendant was also expelled from the country and is not allowed to return to Sweden before February 26, 2015.
The Svea Court of Appeal held that that the two offenders had a decisive influence over the two boys. The boys only spoke Romanian and were in a foreign country with two older men. The two victims did not have any money and were totally dependent on the older men to find jobs and be supported. Further the Svea Court of Appeal found that the offenders persuaded the boys to steal. The fact that the two 16 year old boys might have agreed to steal was of no importance in relation to the criminal judgement of the acts. The offender was therefore convicted of human trafficking.
Fuentes/Citas
Case no B 10675-09
Case no B 9732-09