The Swedish police are taking measures to put a stop to Swedes travelling outside of the country for sex with minors. Recently they launched a website, Resekurage.se, which encourages Swedes who travel to places such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand to report any suspicious activity that they observe among their fellow nationals. These destinations are known for child sex tourism.
The website states that each year, there are hundreds of thousands of Swedes who take trips abroad. It is during these times that they may witness a child being sexually violated by Swedish tourists.
The police insist that one of the major issues is that just one in ten Swedes were familiar with the proper procedures in reporting crimes that are committed abroad. The Swedish website, which is fundamentally run by child rights groups, the police and local authorities, hopes to spark a significant level of awareness about this issue.
Campaign organizers also addressed the Aftonbladet, a local newspaper, and have implored nationals to use their "civic courage" and depend mainly on their first instincts when they believe they are witnessing something they think should be reported to the police.
The United Nations has estimated that there are around two million children who are involved in sex tourism. They believe that Swedes take part in this type of abuse because as tourists they feel a sense of anonymity – that their location makes them less likely to get caught.
According to the website the tips of individuals can be of big help in the ongoing investigations and will help in the decision of whether an individual is going to be prosecuted.
In 2005, a law was enforced that made sure individuals who paid for sex with minors under 18 years old, will face at least two years in prison when they return to Sweden. Since that time, at least seven Swedish tourists were convicted of sexual exploitation of children.
