Stig Östlund

måndag, december 20, 2010

Behind Assange's Arrest: Sweden's Sex-Crime Problem

TIME:

The arrest and possible extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange speaks to Sweden's drive to tackle its disturbingly high rates of reported sexual violence against women

Foreign visitors to Stockholm's lively bar scene might be struck by the assertiveness of the nation's women — the typical Swedish female seems to have no qualms about approaching men to start a conversation or initiate a romantic encounter. To Swedish feminists, that confidence is just one part of the country's wider effort to promote women's rights. "The whole society now expects women to be as forward with their sexual will as men. That, after all, is part of achieving gender equality," explains Karine Arakelian, chairwoman of Terrafem, a shelter organization for abused women.

But despite having the freedom to dictate their sexual encounters, Swedish women face a troubling fact: Sweden has by far the highest incidence of reported rapes in Europe, and one of the lowest conviction rates in the developed world. Various international bodies — from the U.N. to Amnesty International — have slammed the country for the prevalence of sex crimes committed by its citizens. In response, the Swedish government has in recent years undertaken aggressive measures to toughen up its sex-crime laws.

Read more:http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2037078,00.html?xid=newsletter-europe-weekly

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