In its first thematic report, the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) has welcomed Sweden's continued progress in in preventing and combating violence against women in several areas. However, the experts also point out fields which require urgent action by the authorities to fully comply with the Istanbul Convention.

GREVIO welcomes Sweden's continued progress in criminalising conduct and introducing obligations that often go beyond the standards of the Istanbul Convention, including the criminalisation of the "violation of a child's integrity" and addressing gender-based violence-related suicides.

Moreover, measures have been put in place to protect children from child marriage or being taken abroad for that purpose or Female Genital Mutilation.

Other noteworthy steps include the incorporation of the new legislation on rape based on the lack of consent in the mandatory sexuality education curriculum.

Particularly significant is the impact on courts' practices stemming from the 2018 reform on rape, notably leading to the successful prosecution of different typologies of rape, such as "surprise rape" and situations where the victim remained passive, leading to a rise in the rates of convictions.

Beyond the progress made in Sweden to implement the convention, GREVIO is concerned about the quality of training for key professionals, since much of the training is available on a voluntary basis or occurs at an irregular frequency and often does not address digital forms of violence against women.

Another area of concern is the sparse multi-agency cooperation structures at local level in domestic violence cases and the insufficient geographical distribution of shelters for victims.

Finally, the authorities should take necessary measures to prevent violence from occurring in youth homes, harmonise the data collection on all forms of violence against women and domestic violence between law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the judiciary.

Press release
Violence against women in Sweden: progress in legislation and education, but improved professional training and greater focus on safety of women and children in custody and visitation decisions still needed

See the comments submitted by the Swedish authorities

GREVIO and Sweden