Sweden: wife ‘sold’ to 120 men, 62-year-old on trial

In Sweden a prosecutor indicted a 62enne, suspected of having sold his wife’s sexual services to over 120 men, for aggravated exploitation of prostitution, multiple rapes and assault. The man was arrested at the end of October after his wife reported him to the police in the north of the country. He has been in pre-trial detention since then.

“Merciless exploitation”, years of profits

According to the indictment, the man profited for years by pressuring his wife “to submit to sexual acts.” The man is accused of creating online ads, arranging meetings, surveilling the woman and pressuring her to submit to online sexual acts in order to attract more clients. He was also accused of using violence against his wife and threatening her, exploiting her fear of him and taking advantage of his drug addiction. The prosecutor defined the affair as “ruthless exploitation”.

“Unleash the Monster”

The charges also detailed several threats directed at the plaintiff, some of which included warnings about “unleashing the monster.” Prosecutor Ida Annerstedt said in February that authorities had identified about 120 people suspected of purchasing sexual services.
The episodes would have happened between August 11, 2022 and October 21, 2025. In addition to being accused of aggravated pimping, the man – who denies the charges – was also accused of eight rapes. He was also charged with four attempted rapes and four assaults.

Silvia Ingolfsdottir, the lawyer representing the woman, said the charges stem from the “serious crimes” of which her client was the victim. “Now he hopes to get justice,” Ingolfsdottir said. According to public broadcaster SVT, the man had previously been a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels biker group. The broadcaster also said that the trial is now set for April 13.