To mark the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women”, which is celebrated on the next day 25 November, we propose to make known a modus operandi, not being new, is currently the biggest threat to the safety of thousands of young women around the world, Portugal is not immune to this phenomenon called “LoverBoy” and which has only just begun to gain public awareness.
Rogério COPETO
Colonel of the GNR
Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Any situation of violence committed against women is a violation of human rights, and a consequence of discrimination against women and the persistent inequalities between men and women, impeding progress in many areas, This subject has already been discussed here on several occasions., the last of which was in April this year, in the article entitled "Domestic violence: our fate", with the aim of contributing to the prevention and combat of any and all violence against women.
For this reason, Today we introduce you to the “Loverboy” method, which is no longer, than a form of sexual exploitation and slavery, in which male individuals, establish fake romantic relationships with the aim of financially exploiting their supposed girlfriends, usually young women, almost always in a vulnerable situation, whether due to fragile economic conditions, emotional lack or any other individual vulnerability.
Despite the name, There is nothing sentimental about the way the “Loverboys” operate, who basically constitute themselves as human traffickers and who use affection as a weapon to attract their victims, targeting women and young girls, vulnerable and impressionable.
These criminals initially have seduction as their main weapon., showering your targets with compliments, making them feel attractive and even loved, then moving to another level, where operant conditioning techniques are used, resorting to reinforcement and punishment of certain behaviors of victims, with the aim of psychological control over them.
Once victims have developed an emotional connection with traffickers, are manipulated or forced to perform sex work, the most serious consequences of which are transport to another country, away from any possible support network of family and friends, where they will become totally dependent on their traffickers, time when the “Loverboy” façade is completely abandoned, with victims often beaten, held prisoner and forced into prostitution.
If in the past prostitution was the destiny of these women, more recently the objective of the “Loverboys” is sexual exploitation on online adult platforms, especially “OnlyFans”, which allows its users to create and share exclusive pornographic content, intended for paying subscribers, This online sex business is considered one of the most profitable industries currently in existence, so as the adult industry continues to grow, It is not surprising that this criminal phenomenon is growing throughout the world, Portugal being no exception.
Participation in “OnlyFans” or another social network should be a consensual and legitimate choice for adult women, however, when this participation involves coercion and exploitation through the “Loverboy” method, This is a criminal activity that must be combated and investigated, therefore the exposure and sharing of pornographic content, on these online platforms associated with the “Loverboy” method, currently represent two of the phenomena, that highlight the complexities and challenges surrounding sexual exploitation and the adult entertainment industry.
Its consequences, that result from the practice of this activity, for the victims are deep, ranging from psychological to physical harm, in addition to the long-term impact on your autonomy and well-being, prevention of this type of exploitation requires a multifaceted approach, including education about healthy relationships, raising awareness about signs of exploitation and strengthening young women’s emotional resilience.
That is why, It turns out that authorities in several countries across Europe have been aware of the problem for a long time, Romania being the country that has been most affected by criminals who use these methods of controlling women for sexual exploitation, There are numerous reports of young female students who were harassed by potential “Loverboys” who, upon achieving their intentions,, ended up forced into sex work and subjected to exhausting exploitation, often in other countries such as the United Kingdom, where between April 2018 and December 2020, were identified more than 6.000 victims of sex trafficking in the UK.
Also in Portugal, sexual crimes worry the police authorities, as reported by JN in 16 November, in the article titled “Sexual crimes claim nine victims every day. More than 74% they are children", where it is mentioned that “in the first nine months of this year, the Judicial Police (PJ) almost signaled 2.500 victims of sexual crimes. More than 74% are smaller. Every day, there are nine boys, but especially girls, subject to sexual abuse or pornography and men, but mainly women, raped and subject to coercion and sexual harassment.”, the aggressors for sexual abuse of children and the rape suspects are almost all male, representing 96% and 98% respectively, a total of 4.300 attackers investigated by the PJ, in the last ten years.
Probably one or some of these sexual crimes investigated by the PJ, was practiced using the “Loverboy” method, assuming that one of the biggest obstacles to the investigation of this type of crime is the victims refusing to testify against the suspects, for remaining under the control of criminals, even stating that everything was consensual, waiting-I know, with growing awareness of this type of methods used by criminals, more women and girls are able to identify their risk early and protect themselves, denouncing any and all activities that may be associated with the crime of sexual exploitation through the “Loverboy” method.
Combating the “Loverboy” method therefore requires close cooperation between different areas of society, including Security Forces and Services (FSS), where a rigorous investigation of suspected cases, the protection of victims and collaboration with specialized organizations, play an important role, raising awareness among the entire community and implementing effective and crucial public policies to tackle this complex phenomenon.
And since reporting is the first step towards combating this type of crime, we indicate how anyone can participate, without having to leave home, To do so, you must use the “Electronic Complaint".
We finish by giving an account of the various initiatives that are scheduled to mark this year’s “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women”, as published on the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, where there are more than five dozen initiatives of various types, We invite you to know and to participate, However, we do not know if any will address the “Loverboy” method in the sexual exploitation of women.
