The "Swedish Pelicot", convicted of prostituting his wife with more than two hundred men

The Ångermanland court, in northern Sweden, on Tuesday sentenced Tomas Runsten, a 61-year-old man, to four years and five months in prison. According to the verdict, he allegedly sexually exploited his wife for three years and exposed her to between 250 and 275 men in exchange for money since 2023. The case has inevitably been compared to that of Dominique Pelicot in France — for which he is known as the "Swedish Pelicot" — both for the extent of control exerted over the victim and for the way intimate life was turned into a system of sustained exploitation.

The court convicts him of aggravated pimping, attempted rape, and six counts of abuse and six more of threats, but acquits him of several rape charges due to a lack of individualized proof of consent in each specific episode.

The sentence, less than the ten years requested by the prosecution, describes the scenario of continuous domination in which Runsten allegedly organized the sexual exploitation of the victim: he contacted clients, set conditions, and coordinated meetings.

The court estimates that the woman had relations with more than 250 men in a context of dependence, violence, and sustained control. It also states that the convicted man allegedly obtained economic benefits and instrumentalized the couple's relationship to sustain the system. The victim will receive compensation of approximately 200,000 Swedish kronor (about 18,000 euros), while 28 men have been convicted of purchasing sexual services.