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Campaign against sexual abuse of children begins along eastern border
- The Finnish Save the Children organisation began an information campaign on Tuesday against the sexual exploitation of children, targeted at Finns crossing the border into Russia.
- The organisation has printed a brochure to be handed out at border stations emphasising that the sexual abuse of a child is a crime, and appealing for respect for the human rights of children.
- Social Services Minister Eva Biaudet (Swedish People's Party) said at the launch of the campaign in Helsinki on Tuesday that the Ministry is giving support to work conducted among children in Russian Karelia. She noted that the Russian government's actions on behalf of its children are insufficient.
- In Biaudet's view, those who take advantage of children are ordinary Finnish men who suffer from a partial lack of information. They do not always know that having sex with a minor is a crime even if it happens outside of Finland. However, a mere brochure is not a sufficient deterrent for many of the men. Biaudet expressed the hope that police cooperation would lead to prosecutions of Finnish sex tourists, which would demonstrate that the warnings are not mere empty threats.
- Also present at the Save the Children press conference on Tuesday were social welfare officials from Sortavala, on the Russian border. Anatoly Gusarov, Sortavala's deputy mayor responsible for social affairs, said that the social and economic condition of the city's families is very poor.
- For instance, teachers and physicians working for the city earn about 800 roubles (about USD 30) a month, when the official subsistence level is 1051 roubles a month per person.
- “Half of the families live below the subsistence level. For this reason the number of abandoned children and children taken into foster care is growing all the time.” Gusarov said.
- Officials in Sortavala are interested in developing ways similar to Finnish practice, to place children in care into local families. Last year foster homes were found for 40 children, and a Russian adoptive family was found for 27 children. The widespread poverty problem makes it difficult to find appropriate families.
- Gusarov said that he was shocked by reports in Finnish newspapers about massage services offered to Finnish men by 11-year-old girls in Sortavala. “When social conditions are poor, anything is possible, but still, I do not believe that Sortavala would be a new Thailand”, Gusarov said. He also promised that city officials would send the names of Finnish men chasing after prostitutes in Sortavala to Finnish newspapers if they need such information.
- “We want tourists to come to Sortavala to see the Valamo monastery and the unique art of Konid Gogolev. We do not want sex tourists.” Sortavala has started to take a tougher line on Finns. During the past two months, 45 Finns have been punished for drunkenness or disorderly conduct in the town.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 5.4.2000
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