The criminalisation of men who buy sex must be central to any strategy to combat prostitution, police experts from Sweden and Norway said in Dublin today.
They are here at the invitation of the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Ruhama, which works with women in prostitution, to advise the Garda and the HSE.
Det Supt Jonas Trolle, operational head of crime and narcotics surveillance with Stockholm Police Department, and Patric Cederlof, the national co-ordinator against prostitution and human trafficking, were joined by Det Chief Inspector Thor Martin Elton and Det Inspector Stian Jacobsen both of the Oslo police in Norway.
Sweden passed legislation in 1999 specifically criminalising the purchase of sex, rather then the sale. A 10-year review of its impact highlighted a halving of street prostitution and a reduction in organised crime in general.
Det Supt Trolle said the Swedish legislation had resulted in a "radical" reduction in both street and indoor prostitution. Trafficking of women and girls into Sweden has been almost eliminated.
"If we talk of specific figures, the number of girls in street prostitution on a night in Stockholm would be five to 10. If we talk about indoor prostitution - found on the internet, about 80 to 100."
This compared with the number of women and girls engaged in prostitution in a European city of similar size, such as Barcelona, where there are about 20,000.
"Looking at the number of clients, it used to be about one in eight men in Sweden had at some stage bought sex. Now surveys find it is about one out of 40 men. Acceptance for the legislation is at about 80 per cent of people supporting it. It is widely seen as shameful and unacceptable to purchase a woman for sex.
"Today it is impossible to run a brothel in Sweden," said Det Supt Trolle.
The rationale for its introduction was a "question of gender equality", he said.
Mr Cederlof said in his 21 years working to tackle trafficking and prostitution he had never met a woman who freely wanted to be in prostitution.
"They might say it's a free choice at first, but when you talk to them more, they always say if they could have done something else they would have," he said.
Between 300 and 400 men are prosecuted per year in Sweden - "enough to show the people of Stockholm it is unacceptable to purchase sex", said Det Supt Trolle.
In Norway the figure was about 100 for last year. There the legislation was introduced in the last few years only, said Det Inspector Jacobsen.
Both police forces said it was important that the resources were put in place to implement the legislation. However, Det Supt Trolle said, the dividend from the investment into specialised training and units within the police was significant.
"To me all of this is connected to other organised crime - drugs, gambling, fire-arms. This legislation attacks people involved in other types of organised crime too."
Asked about the alternative option of legalising and regulating prostitution, Det Supt Trolle said: "All that will do is give organised criminals the opportunity to have a proper business, and it will be seen as OK to buy women for sex, and the prostitution will grow. Holland is the worst. And I have heard there that just 10 per cent of the income from prostitution goes to the State."
Independent Senator Katherine Zappone, who attended the media briefing, said she would bring a private members motion before the Seanad on October 12th, calling on Minister for Justice Alan Shatter to give "serious consideration" to introducing legislation that would criminalise the purchase of sex.
