Should we stop protecting buyers of prostitution?

Karl Steinar Valsson , Chief Superintendent and head of the National Police Commissioner’s Analysis Department, says there is reason to reconsider whether Iceland should continue shielding the buyers of prostitution.

A new report on organised crime in Iceland, published on Friday by the National Police Commissioner, reviews —among other things—the state of prostitution and human trafficking in the country.

A thin line between prostitution and human trafficking

The report states that dozens of individuals are generally active in prostitution in Iceland. Most are women, but men and trans people are also present.

It is believed that a large portion of these individuals can be classified as victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

“We are one of very few countries that shield the buyers of prostitution, which perhaps increases the size of the market even further. We believe this gives the courts reason to consider whether they are doing the right thing by choosing to protect these offenders in particular,” Karl Steinar Valsson tells mbl.is, adding: “There is a thin line between prostitution and human trafficking.”

Undermining government efforts

The report notes that Icelandic courts have operated on the principle of keeping the identities of prostitution buyers confidential during legal proceedings. Judgments involving the purchase of prostitution are also not published publicly.

When considering the usual principles of deterrence, the report states it is likely that this approach does not help reduce prostitution, and may in fact work against government efforts in this area.

Creating more grounds for prostitution

Valsson says that police officers do not understand why the courts choose to shield buyers of prostitution more than other offenders. They see no purpose in it, and rather believe that it contributes to increased demand.

“The intention is surely to protect the individual because of family considerations or something like that, but by shielding them you are actually creating a greater foundation for prostitution. A person would probably think twice if they expected that their name would appear in some records.”