A 38-year-old woman has been sentenced to one year of unconditional imprisonment in Odense for pimping and exploitation of persons, marking the first conviction under the penal code’s section on exploitation of persons.

The woman was found guilty of forcing two girls, aged 15 and 17, to work in various brothels during the autumn of 2023. She was specifically convicted of exploiting the 17-year-old by making her work under manifestly unreasonable conditions.

In addition to the prison sentence, she was fined DKK 150,000, representing the presumed profit from the prostitution, and ordered to pay each girl DKK 30,000 in compensation.

The section on exploitation of persons was added to the penal code in 2022. It stipulates a prison sentence of up to six years for exploiting another person’s significant financial or personal difficulties, lack of insight, recklessness, or dependency to make them work under manifestly unreasonable conditions.

The two girls, who were victims in the case, resided in a children’s home on Funen when they began prostituting themselves. The 38-year-old woman facilitated their work in various brothels and rented apartments across Funen, Zealand, and Jutland.

The woman, who also works as a prostitute, pleaded not guilty throughout the trial, claiming she only brought the 17-year-old along to assist her. Both the convicted woman and the prosecution have 14 days to decide whether to appeal the verdict.