Debate: Our new ombudsman will put pressure on the government

The government must ensure that children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation receive the same rights, care and support as children who are victims of other forms of violence. We are now appointing the Ombudsman against commercial sexual exploitation of children – who will review the government’s work in this area, write the organizations Child10, Ellencentret and Novahuset.

All children who are victims of violence should have the same right to care, support and restoration, but today children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation have less access to these rights. We believe that this is done in such a systematic way that it is distinct from society’s treatment of children who are victims of other forms of violence.

Commercial sexual exploitation refers to the paid abuse of children. This is a problem that is far more widespread in Sweden than most people think. More than 22 000 children and young people may have been victims of paid abuse. This means that there is the equivalent of one pupil in every class in year 9 and upper secondary school who has been subjected to this type of crime.

Victims are blamed
The root problem that has created the gaps in society’s support services is that commercial sexual exploitation is not identified, addressed or treated as a form of violence. Two clear examples of this are:

Commercial sexual exploitation is not included in the national policy documents used to identify children exposed to violence. This means that individual practitioners and care providers lack the support to identify and understand that the children they encounter who are in commercial sexual exploitation are actually victims of violence. If you don’t know what to look for, you won’t find it.

In cases where children are actually identified, they are often blamed for their own vulnerability, as confirmed by several recent reports. The view that the child is responsible and has consented to the exploitation by accepting compensation is deeply rooted in both the care and support and legal systems.

Not the same rights
Both of these systemic failures lead to the serious consequence that vulnerable children remain in exploitation, either because they are not identified at all or because they are blamed for their own victimization and therefore no action is taken. In practice, this means that children who are victims of paid abuse do not have the same rights as children who are victims of other forms of sexual violence.

Through the Lanzarote Convention, Sweden has undertaken to implement measures to prevent sexual exploitation, identify the children who are exposed and provide them with protection and support. We believe that Sweden is currently failing in all aspects of this convention commitment.

New ombudsman to scrutinize the state
The state must do more to ensure the rights of vulnerable children, which is why the civil society organizations Child10, Ellencentret and Novahuset have now initiated and funded the new review function Ombudsman against commercial sexual exploitation of children.

The Ombudsman will review Sweden’s work based on international conventions and the experiences and needs of vulnerable children. The role is held by Gabriella Kärnekull Wolfe, who is one of the foremost experts on the issue and founder of Sweden’s first grassroots organization for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.

Children’s vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation will not go away if they are consistently left out of violence prevention efforts. The government must now take urgent and comprehensive action to prevent exploitation and to ensure that the thousands of children who are victims receive the care and support they are entitled to. The Ombudsman against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children is an important part of following up and quality assuring these commitments.

Jacob Flärdh Secretary General Child10

Zandra Kanakaris Secretary General of the Ellen Center

Magnus Oskarsson Operations Manager Novahuset

Read the article here.