A 61-year-old Swedish man has been jailed for four years and five months for coercing his wife into having sex with more than 120 men
A 61-year-old Swedish man has been jailed for four years and five months for coercing his wife into having sex with more than 120 men.
The man, whose name has not been released, was convicted of multiple offences including aggravated pimping, attempted rape, assault and unlawful threats following a trial in the Angermanland region of northern Sweden.
During the trial, the court heard how the man controlled his wife by plying her with drugs, isolating her at their remote farm in Kramfors and exploiting her limited social contacts, while also using surveillance cameras in the property that at times recorded sexual encounters. He also threatened to kill her, pour petrol on her, burn her and cut off her fingers, the court was told.
The man has been in custody since October after the woman reported the incidents to police. Prosecutors said earlier this year that he was suspected of selling sex with his wife to at least 120 men.
The trial has been likened to that of Dominique Pelicot in France, who drugged his then-wife, Gisele, and allowed dozens of men to rape her over a nine-year period.
After a hearing that ended in late May, the court acquitted the defendant of eight counts of rape and another three of attempted rape.
It said that it was unable to establish in seven cases that the plaintiff’s participation was involuntary and, in the other case, it was not clear what sexual acts took place.
The court established “that the man influenced and coerced his wife into performing sexual acts on herself, broadcasting them online, receiving additional sex buyers, and attempting to persuade neighbors and customers to have sex with her,” Judge Johan Ahlberg said in a statement.
“In many cases, this was also done through prolonged nagging and the use of unpleasant and condescending language.”
The man has denied all the charges and claimed that he helped his wife, who allegedly wanted to sell sex, Swedish news agency TT reported.
Alongside the main suspect, 29 people were charged with the purchase of sexual services or acts. Twenty-eight of them were convicted of a total of 56 such purchases and two were imprisoned, the court heard.
Swedish law criminalises buying sex and procuring it, but does not criminalise the selling of sex by sex workers, who are considered exploited victims.
