Four jailed over prostitution rings
Four people have been jailed in a major pimping and human trafficking trial in Stockholm.
Seventeen people had been tried in the case, which concerned an alleged prostitution ring in the capital. A 28-year-old man was sentenced to two-and-a half years in jail for rape and pimping by Stockholm District Court, with another three people given shorter sentences.
Six people were acquitted in the case, four were given suspended sentences and three were fined.
Prosecutor Krister Petersson described the sentences as "generous" to those convicted.
"I will now examine the judgement to see whether I will take further action."
The prosecution argued in vain for several of those on trial to be convicted of pimping and human trafficking.
A man and his two sons were said by the prosecution to have jointly run a prostitution ring in the autumn of 2006, but the court found that the ring was actually run as two separate operations.
The father and one of the sons had run a ring together, the court found, but the other son had run a separate operation. The fact that the two operations were separate led to shorter sentences for those convicted.
"The big thing is that we have found that these were two separate operations," said judge Eva Persélius.
"If they had been put together and everyone had been working in one and the same operation then [the sentences] would have been longer. If that had been the case, each would have been responsible for the other - the other's women and so on. But we have not found proof that the two were linked," she said.
Prosecutor Kirster Petersson said he had hoped for success in getting the men convicted on more serious charges "as this was an operation that involved a large number of girls and which gave those convicted large profits."
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Seventeen people had been tried in the case, which concerned an alleged prostitution ring in the capital. A 28-year-old man was sentenced to two-and-a half years in jail for rape and pimping by Stockholm District Court, with another three people given shorter sentences.
Six people were acquitted in the case, four were given suspended sentences and three were fined.
Prosecutor Krister Petersson described the sentences as "generous" to those convicted.
"I will now examine the judgement to see whether I will take further action."
The prosecution argued in vain for several of those on trial to be convicted of pimping and human trafficking.
A man and his two sons were said by the prosecution to have jointly run a prostitution ring in the autumn of 2006, but the court found that the ring was actually run as two separate operations.
The father and one of the sons had run a ring together, the court found, but the other son had run a separate operation. The fact that the two operations were separate led to shorter sentences for those convicted.
"The big thing is that we have found that these were two separate operations," said judge Eva Persélius.
"If they had been put together and everyone had been working in one and the same operation then [the sentences] would have been longer. If that had been the case, each would have been responsible for the other - the other's women and so on. But we have not found proof that the two were linked," she said.
Prosecutor Kirster Petersson said he had hoped for success in getting the men convicted on more serious charges "as this was an operation that involved a large number of girls and which gave those convicted large profits."
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