Human Trafficking in [Finland] [other countries]
Street Children in [Finland] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Finland] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Republic of Finland [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Republic of Finland [map] is located in N Europe and is bordered by the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden in (W), by Norway (N), by Russia (E), and by the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea (S). The country includes the Åland Islands, located at the mouth of the Gulf of Bothnia. Helsinki is Finland's capital and largest city. Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Growth in 2003 was held back by the global slowdown but picked up in 2004. High unemployment remains a persistent problem.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Finland. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (Finland), and Years Missing

National Plan of Action

Runaways - Where To Turn For Help Before You Are Homeless

Here are the best phone numbers to call …They are Confidential - which means they won't tell anyone about your call unless you want them to talk to somebody for you, or you are in danger. They are open 24 Hours - it doesn't matter what time you call In Finland, call 09 753 5121

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

CHILDREN - There were reports of trafficking of children for sexual exploitation

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – Most trafficking involved women and girls from Russia, although Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian women were also trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2005

[52] While welcoming that recent amendments to the Penal Code introduced the crime of trafficking in Finnish legislation, as well as the National Plan of Action Combating the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children of 2000 and the National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Human Beings of 2005, the Committee is concerned at the information that persons, including children, continue to be trafficked to and through the country.

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – FINLAND – The Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed its deep concern about the problem of child sex tourism committed by Finns in nearby countries of the former Soviet Union, and urged that adequate measures should be taken to combat it. Finnish and Russian authorities have been working together to tackle child sex tourism. This cooperation led to the prosecution of a Finnish man for sexually exploiting a minor in Russia, and it marks the first time that Finnish extraterritorial law has been applied for such crimes.

Contribution by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a conference of experts dealing with child trafficking in the Baltic Sea region "Stop Child Trafficking: Modern-Day Slavery" in Helsinki on 2.6.2003

A question often asked is how many children fall victim to trafficking here in our own Baltic Sea Region. To be frank, we do not know exactly. Researchers trying to compile data have had to face harassment, intimidation and threats. The people engaged in child trafficking are determined to persist in their illegal and immoral activities. Nor are those who exploit children any more willing to tell about their own actions.

Children in Viipuri Attest to Sex Trips by Finns

The “New Thailand” for Finnish men extends from Sortavala in Russian Karelia down to Viipuri and St. Petersburg. These areas are choice destinations for Finnish males in the mood for sex with a minor. The clientele of the Viipuri child prostitutes is 98% Finnish, and they buy sex from both boys and girls.

No indication of widespread organised child prostitution in Finland

POLICE CONCERNED ABOUT USE OF INTERNET CHAT LINES FOR CHILD SEX SERVICES - Police believe that some children in Finland have been providing sex services to adults in exchange for money or goods. They are especially concerned about chat lines. Boys use them to sell themselves. Mero believes that Finland does not have any real organized child prostitution activities. However, he says that some boys and girls have been known to sell themselves near Helsinki's Central Railway Station. In addition to Finns, child prostitutes in Finland have come from Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The Situation in Finland

DE FACTO - Prostitution has not been common in Finland and it has not been professionally organized. Previously there used to be no street or child prostitution. However, the situation has changed since the beginning of the 1990s, when prostitution became more common and more organized.

Protection Project: Finland [DOC]

Tallinn, Estonia, and St. Petersburg, Russia, have become large centers for child prostitution, and to a large extent the customers come from Finland. Buying sex from minors is a crime according to Finnish law, even when it takes place abroad; however, there is less risk of getting caught in those cities. According to official statistics, 45 percent of men purchasing sexual services in Estonia are Finnish tourists. Other sources have claimed that the Finns account for 60 percent of brothel visits in Estonia. Finnish men can cross the border into Russia and buy women and girls in prostitution much more cheaply than in Finland.

National Action Plan Combating Human Trafficking in Finland

The Government in its general session on 25 August 2005 approved the national action plan against human trafficking. The action plan is the first ever proposal for comprehensive measures to combat human trafficking in Finland.

Sexual Exploitation Of Children Rises In Gambia

Last year as many as 100,000 tourists, mainly from Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany, visited Gambia.

U.S. Says Human Trafficking Still A Problem

Women and children from Latvia are trafficked for sexual exploitation to Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.

All material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use

Human Trafficking in [Finland] [other countries]
Street Children in [Finland] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Finland] [other countries]