pat t e r n s o f e x p lo i tat i o n
CASE EXAMPLE
Sexual exploitation and transactional sex of young persons THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES in question were committed in
2021 in Latvia, in Riga, Jelgava and Saulkrasti. The perpetrators were men of various nationalities, aged between 35 and 60, who approached 12–15-year-old girls through acquaintances or simply on the street, inviting them to go somewhere together and proposing sexual contact in exchange for money or other benefits. Later, they asked the girls to bring their female friends, and engaged also them in sexual activities. The men who recruited the girls also exploited them, but sometimes acquittances of the men took part as well. ALL OF THE girls were from vulnerable families or State social
care institutions. The authorities disagreed on the classification of this case. It was finally classified as the involvement of a person in prostitution and use of prostitution, more specifically, Section 164:4 of the Criminal Law, which refers to a person who induces or compels a person who has not attained the age of sixteen years to engage in prostitution.
THE INCREASED USE of Internet platforms has also influenced new
forms of sexual exploitation. In recent years, so-called “sugar dating” has become a notable phenomenon in different countries. Sugar dating can be described as a form of compensated dating, in which the client – usually an older male – pays another person, most often a young female, for their company (Yle 21.11.2018). Sugar dating can be consensual, but it has also been associated with sexual exploitation and other kinds of criminal activity. According to specialists interviewed by the Finnish broadcasting company Yle, sugar dating is popular among young people who are in a vulnerable position and thus more exposed to victimization. (Ibid.) The exploitation of children via webcam and social media also seems to be increasing, and it has been suggested that perpetrators have started using online games to approach potential victims (GRETA 2022).
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