Abuse of a person subject to sex trade to be made punishable
Abuse of a person subject to sex trade shall be made punishable. The President of the Republic is to confirm the amendment of the Penal Code to enter into force on 1 October 2006. A person would make himself guilty of abuse, when he, by promising or giving compensation with a direct economic value, makes a person subject to pandering or human trafficking consent to sexual intercourse or a comparable sexual act.
It would also be punishable to engage in a sexual act referred to above with a person subject to pandering or human trafficking making use of a compensation promised or given by a third person.
The punishment for abuse of a person subject to sex trade will be a fine or imprisonment not exceeding six months. Also an attempt of abuse is punishable.
The present provisions on punishment for buying sexual services from a person under 18 years of age will be supplemented so that also a person using sexual services compensated by another shall be sentenced for this crime. The maximum punishment for buying sexual services from a person under 18 years of age shall continue to be one year of imprisonment.
The selling and buying of sexual services in a public place is even now punishable as a violation of general order. The punishment may be a summary fine or a fine. The new provision on punishment for abuse of a person subject to sex trade shall be applied irrespective of the place where the act is committed or the manner of making contact (e.g. by mobile phone or through the Internet).
The criminalisation of the abuse of persons subject to sex trade aims at protecting persons subject to pandering or human trafficking and at decreasing the preconditions of crimes in human trafficking and pandering. Parliament requires in its statement that sufficient support measures are arranged for prostitutes promoting their possibilities to leave prostitution and to enter the labour market.
The additional protocols of the UN Convention on human trafficking
and the smuggling of immigrants
The purpose is, at the presentation to the President, also to confirm the Acts on the Implementation in Finland of the Additional Protocols on Human Trafficking and the Smuggling of Immigrants. The protocols relate to the UN Convention against Trans-national Organised Crime implemented in Finland in 2004.
The additional protocols have great significance both in policy and in practice in combating human trafficking and the smuggling of immigrants as well as to help the persons subject to human trafficking. A large number of countries has already adopted these protocols, including the majority of European Union Member States.
The national implementation of the additional protocols does not require legislative amendments, because the criminalisation obligations required were implemented already in 2004.
Additional information: Senior Advisor Janne Kanerva tel. + 358 9 1606 7723
email: [email protected]