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kidnapper, and they don’t want to get rid of her until she’s earned them as much money as possible. But most of the girls are bought and sold as slaves, usually by their parents or other relatives. Or by kidnappers, as I said. Organized human traffickers dazzle the girls and their families with the promise of a good job overseas because what’s behind this misery is always poverty, when it comes down to it.”
    “Don’t the girls get to keep any of the money themselves?”
    “No. The pimps take their passports off them as soon as they’ve entered a new country. Then they threaten the girls, telling them they have to pay off the cost of getting them out of their home country. They often say that the girl’s family will have to pay the price if she doesn’t do as she’s told. And doing as she’s told means going along with any sexual demand that the pimp or the clients might make.”
    Linda Holm paused for a moment and took a booklet out of her desk drawer. She held it up to show them. “This is an up-to-date report from the UN. It indicates that never before in the history of the world have there been as many slaves as we have today. At least twelve million people are living in slavery; the actual number is probably significantly higher. In the past people used to be enslaved to work, but these days sex slavery is at least as common. It’s more lucrative. The trade includes children and adults of both sexes, but the majority are girls and young women. The fact is that human trafficking today turns over more money than the narcotics trade.”
    “Why has this happened?” Birgitta asked.
    “Drug-related offenses attract severe punishments all over the world. Those who are caught can risk the death penalty. Human trafficking has generally led to more lenient sentences, plus the financial gains are huge. The law isn’t keeping up with the development of trafficking at all; it’s like an avalanche. Even if laws do exist, the authorities aren’t always interested in making use of them. And remember that the men who hold the power often have dirty pants, if you know what I mean.” The expression on Linda Holm’s face was grim as she uttered the last words.
    “Sounds like your job is an uphill battle,” Birgitta commented.
    “It sometimes feels that way. Things have changed somewhat in Sweden, but overseas prostitution is viewed very differently. The law often doesn’t distinguish between voluntary prostitution and trafficking. The girls are all lumped together and are regarded as whores.”
    “You mean none of these girls are doing this of their own free will?”
    Linda gave Birgitta a long look before answering. “Six months ago we raided an apartment we’d had under surveillance. We knew there were at least two girls in there, with two pimps. Men came and went at all hours of the day and night. I was there when we went in. As usual the apartment was a complete dump, but there was something about the smell … it stank more than usual. I went into one room and saw a teenage girl standing there changing a diaper on a grown man. The diaper was full of shit. I still wonder where a guy weighing a hundred kilos can get a hold of a onesie like the one he was wearing. And he had a pacifier, too.”
    A vision of the scene flashed across Irene’s mind, and she felt nauseous. “That’s sick,” she said.
    “But not all that uncommon. Do you really think a teenagegirl would choose a life in captivity, without any chance of stepping outside the temporary brothel? Being constantly ready to supply the most humiliating sexual services to men they don’t even know? Because it’s these sex slaves who have to deal with the worst perversions.”
    “What kind of men are we talking about here?” Irene asked.
    “All kinds. The age varies between seventeen and eighty. The majority are socially well-established men with families.”
    “Do we know why they do it?”
    “You mean why they pay for sex with a sex