The court of appeal strengthens penalties for human trafficking

Six people were sentenced for trafficking in human beings in the Växjö district court before christmas, and one person was sentenced for complicity, with 1.5 to 5.5 years of imprisonment as a penalty. The people had organized begging around Växjö and recruited their least thirteen ”employees” in Bulgaria and placed them in cars or caravans in the woods for at least two years.

To employ beggar does not meet the crime of trafficking in human beings, the court argued, but in this case, it was considered that several of them had been misled and used improperly. In addition, the court held, had ”been assaulted, skuldsatts, assigned to the fines, supervised or assigned to the less food if they begged together for little money”.

Read more: district Court shed seven was found guilty of trafficking in human beings

at the Riksenheten against international and organized crime appealed the judgment because they wanted to have longer prison sentences and that they believe that a further four people have been exposed to trafficking. All convicted for denying the crimes and appealed, therefore, also the district court's decision to the Göta court of appeal.

the court of Appeal's assessment is that a total of twelve people have been the victims of trafficking in human beings. Utvisningsbeslutet stands for all convicted, but three of them have extended to fifteen years instead of ten years. The forfeiture of of the men's economic gains are also larger in the court of appeal – 199.500 dollars – and the total damages down to the 185.000 dollars.