Introducing The Nordic Model To Deal With Sex Crimes

“Prostitution is assumed as the “world’s oldest profession” and whether it should be criminalized – or not – is one of the oldest debates among companionable reformers. Today, a development agreement around the world assert the male infringement against ladies, and so customers should be held as criminals. On the perverse, it’s decriminalizing prostitution that could require women — in and outside of trafficking — safer. “A shift in social thought throughout the era introduced the woman as a victim, often attract or compulsory into sexual captivity by “impure men”. “Several countries have taken on and helped develop the Nordic Model we see today. Countries like Sweden, Norway, and Northern Ireland have all organized domestically with the Nordic Model. Other countries like Canada and France have also shown to adapt outdated laws to use the Nordic model template. Sweden originally took on the Nordic Model in the mid 1930’s like other neighbor nations (Denmark and Norway) during the great depression to help alleviate the social and financial stress that it’s nation(s) had been dealing with. Although the great depression era has ended the Nordic model has assisted in other domestic and International issues.

In the late 20th century many Scandinavian countries have adapted the nordic model to aid in the rapant sex trade and prostitution issues that had plagued the country. Sweden has introduced these laws into their Penal code and read as follows. “A person who by violence or threat which involves, or appears to the threatened person to involve an imminent danger, forces another person to have sexual intercourse or to engage in a comparable sexual act, that having regard to the nature of the violation and the circumstances in general, is comparable to enforced sexual intercourse, shall be sentenced for rape to imprisonment for at least two and at most six years. Causing helplessness or a similar state of incapacitation shall be regarded as equivalent to violence. If having regard to the nature of the violence or the threat and the circumstances in general, the crime is considered less serious, a sentence to imprisonment for at most four years shall be imposed. If the crime is gross, a sentence to imprisonment for at least four and at most ten years shall be imposed for gross rape.

In assessing whether the crime is gross, special consideration shall be given to whether the violence involved a danger to life or whether the perpetrator caused serious injury or serious illness or, having regard to the method used or the victim's youth or other circumstances, exhibited particular ruthlessness or brutality.” -or- “A person who, under circumstances other than those defined in Section 1, makes someone engage in a sexual act by unlawful coercion shall be sentenced for sexual coercion to imprisonment for at most two years. If the person who committed the act exhibited particular ruthlessness or if the crime is otherwise considered gross, a sentence of at least six months and at most four years shall be imposed for gross sexual coercion.”

Sweden had implemented these two sections into their criminal code after extensive research to help protect independent and sex trafficked sex workers Following suit to Sweden, Denmark has also adopted a similar set of offenses into their criminal code. Similarly the Danish criminal code reads as. § 228 of the Danish Penal Code " (1) Any person who 1) induces another to seek a profit by sexual immorality with others; or 2) for the purpose of gain, induces another to indulge in sexual immorality with others or prevents another who engages in sexual immorality as a profession from giving it up; or 3) keeps a brothel; -shall be guilty of procuring and liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding four years.

The same penalty shall apply to any person who incites or helps a person under the age of twenty-one (21) to engage in sexual immorality as a profession, or to any person who abets some other person to leave the Kingdom in order that the latter shall engage in sexual immorality as a profession abroad or shall be used for such immorality, where that person is under the age of twenty-one (21) or is at the time ignorant of the purpose. " § 229 of the Danish Penal Code " (1) Any person who, for the purpose of gain or in frequently repeated cases, promotes sexual immorality by acting as an intermediary, or who derives profit from the activities of any person engaging in sexual immorality as a profession, shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three years or, in mitigating circumstances, to simple detention or a fine. (2) Any person who lets a room in a hotel or an inn for the carrying on of prostitution as a profession shall be liable to simple detention or imprisonment for any term not exceeding one year or, in mitigating circumstances, to a fine.

§ 233 of the Danish Penal Code " Any person who incites or invites other persons to prostitution or exhibits immoral habits in a manner which is likely to annoy others or arouse public offence shall be liable to simple detention or to imprisonment for any term not exceeding one year or, in mitigating circumstances, to a fine. "

Finally, In 2014 Canada adapted a similar aspect of the Nordic Model to only make the purchasing of sexual acts criminal along with “pimping”. 286.1 (1) Everyone who, in any place, obtains for consideration, or communicates with anyone for the purpose of obtaining for consideration, the sexual services of a person is guilty of (a) an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years and a minimum punishment of, (i) in the case where the offence is committed in a public place, or in any place open to public view, that is or is next to a park or the grounds of a school or religious institution or that is or is next to any other place where persons under the age of 18 can reasonably be expected to be present, (A) for a first offence, a fine of $2,000, and (B) for each subsequent offence, a fine of $4,000, or (ii) in any other case, (A) for a first offence, a fine of $1,000, and (B) for each subsequent offence, a fine of $2,000; or (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 18 months and a minimum punishment of, (i) in the case referred to in subparagraph (a)(i), (A) for a first offence, a fine of $1,000, and (B) for each subsequent offence, a fine of $2,000, or (ii) in any other case, (A) for a first offence, a fine of $500, and (B) for each subsequent offence, a fine of $1,000.

As shown above, there is no criminal act for providing the sexual service, but just buying it The use of the Nordic Model for sex work and sex trafficking has been around since the early 1990’s and has seen many benefits and many downsides. Using this model to tackle prostitution has had a positive impact on the safety and security of sex workers. “Allowing prostitution to not be a crime allows all sex workers a piece of mind that what they are doing is not illegal and are no repercussions for making an income, allowing to deny services, and being able to contact authorities in case of an emergency.” The negative side is that individuals may still take the risk to partake in these services. Knowing that there is still a niche for prostitution, pimps and sexual organizers will still attempt to make a profit off of this market not fully respecting the sex workers safety.

Overall Countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Canada have all noticed significant positive aspects of introducing the Nordic model to deal with sex crimes. All countries have noted that there has been a “decrease in sex workers clogging the judicial system” and have been able to protect many more sex workers from harm. Although many systems have flaws, and the Nordic Model is no exception, it is a step in the right direction towards public safety.”