One female member of the Swedish Parliament openly opposes the country's recently-passed law banning the purchase of sexual services (but not sales of them) that was introduced in Sweden in 1999. This was replaced in 2005 by a stiffer statute that expanded the prohibition - and punishment back at home for Swedish citizens - so that it applies to violations that are committed beyond Swedish borders.

Speaking to her constituents through the Borlänge Tidning newspaper, Camilla Lindberg from the Liberal Party (Folkpartiet) said that the prohibition of prostitution was not only ineffective, but it was detrimental to Swedish society. She believes that helping erotic services personnel - whom she views as the vulnerable of society - would be much improved if there were brothels with guards. Lindberg adds that certificates of health should also be required.

Commenting in relationship to a meeting on the topic in the official site of the Dalarna Liberal Party, Lindberg remarked, "What bothers me most is that this topic is so taboo in Sweden. There is no debate about whether the Swedish sex buyers act met its objective to reduce prostitution."

Trafficking - at one time called "white slavery" - is the problem, rather than providing sexual services. Lindberg contends that it is important for dealing and importing human beings for prostitution is what must be addressed and curtailed. She also points out that most people first think merely of females as prostitutes, but in fact, today's society has nearly equal numbers of male prostitutes who labor under the same conditions and with the same hazards.

"While the comments are simply those of one member of Parliament, it should be recalled that Lindberg held the top place on Dalarna’s Liberal Party election ballot in 2006," noted the Nordic Prostitution Policy Reform, which comprises a comparative study of prostitution policy reform in the Nordic countries, on their web site.

"There remains little question that the impact of the legislation will be a hot topic in the Swedish media this June, when Chancellor of Justice Anna Skarhed will publish her evaluation of the ban on the purchase of sexual services," added the NPPR, which was started in 2008 and is funded by the Swedish Research Council. However, the organization added that proposals such as Lindberg’s will not be considered, because instructions from the Swedish Department of Justice have specified that the evaluation may not propose repealing the legislation.

Legalizing prostitution would also, in Lindberg's view, enable sex service industry workers to openly pay taxes, obtain sickness and unemployment insurance, collect disability and build credits for higher pension benefits. In regard to the loud objections of feminists in Sweden to legalizing prostitution, Lindberg points out, as an example, the their counterparts in Germany have the opposite viewpoint, and women's rights groups in other European countries have also seen the logic of making the world's oldest professionals into a safe, secure and legitimate part of the labor force.

Wherever this topic has been mentioned on Internet news or organization sites, the discussions have been emotionally charged and positions - both for and against - have been abundant.

Source: NPPR.se, folkpartiet.se/camilla