Eastern Prostitution from Russia to Sweden and Finland

Author: Alalehto T.

Source: Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, Volume 3, Number 1, 1 January 2002 , pp. 96-111(16)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Trafficking is a relatively new phenomenon in the research agenda on organized crime. In this article the spread of the phenomenon in Scandinavia is described and discussed. Special attention has been given to Russian-organized prostitution in the Tornio Valley (the borderarea between northern Finland and northern Sweden). The data for the article consist of observations at special 'deposit-sites' in Finland and interviews with the authorities concerned (police, customs, social services, Center for Disease Control (CDC), etc.) in Sweden, and also newspaper articles that have reported on the phenomenon. The methological projection of the article is exploratory in character with the purpose of describing the phenomenon, rather than being able to explain it. The results show that there is an organized trade in women in the Tornio Valley (set rendezvous points, pick-up sites, transport via Russian-registered minivans etc). Despite this the phenomenon cannot be tied conclusively to Russian-organized crime. One conclusion is that further research on this phenomenon should gather information from the Russian authorities and from the prostitutes themselves.

Keywords: SEX-TRADE; TRAFFICKING; TORNIO; VALLEY

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/140438502762467236

Publication date: 2002-01-01