Judge fined for sex charges

2005-06-17 16:30

Stockholm - A Swedish judge has been fined for soliciting prostitutes, a third such case to rock the country's legal system in little more than a year, said a prosecutor on Friday.

Prosecutor Mats Svensson said the judge, who was not identified, had admitted to trying to buy sex from three prostitutes at an illegal bordello that posed as a tanning salon in Malmo, southern Sweden.

Last month, in another highly publicised case, a Supreme Court judge was fined after admitting he solicited a male prostitute.

Last year, a judge on the Malmo district court went into early retirement after admitting he bought sex from a prostitute.

Sven-Erik Alhem, director of the public prosecution authority, said on Thursday that the three cases added up to "a disaster for the confidence in the justice system".

Buying sexual favours 'illegal'

Alhem said: "It's deeply worrying now that it's several cases. It can lead to a mistrust of all of us who work in the justice system."

Buying sexual favours was illegal in Sweden, although it was legal to sell them.

Svensson said in the latest case, the judge solicited sex during a phone call to the salon, but the purchase was not completed because he was unable to get to the salon before closing time.

Svensson said: "The salon closed at eight, and he couldn't get in to Malmo in time. That's the only reason it didn't happen."

The judge agreed to pay a 21 000 kronor ($2 741) fine, but would keep his job on a district court in southern Sweden.

Svensson said 67 people were suspected of soliciting prostitutes at the salon, of which 23 had admitted to doing so.

- SAPA