Human Trafficking in [Guatemala] [other countries]Street Children in [Guatemala] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Guatemala |
Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children The Republic of
Guatemala [map], located in Central America, is bounded by Mexico (N &
W), by Belize and the Caribbean Sea (E), by Honduras and El Salvador (SE),
and by the Pacific Ocean (SW). The capital
and largest city is |
|
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FEATURED ARTICLE *** GUATEMALA: Where Sexual Exploitation of Minors Is Not a Crime Sexual exploitation of minors is not classified as a crime in Guatemala, where activists say child sex tourism is on the rise, and the toughest penalty for "corruption of minors" and "aggravated procuring" is a 400 dollar fine. "I had problems at home, and a girlfriend took me to work with her in a bar." That is how Alba, at the age of 14, began to be sexually exploited in a brothel on the outskirts of the Guatemalan capital. Her mother was demanding that she bring money home, and she saw it as a way to earn an income. For Alba's family, which is poor, the 160 dollars a month that she brought home was an important source of income. ***
ARCHIVES *** U.S.
Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Street children tend to be especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation
and other forms of violence, constituting a serious problem in Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS -
Trafficking was particularly a problem in the capital and in towns along the
borders with Bur of
Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - 2003 CHILDREN - Child prostitution was
especially a problem in the capital and in the towns of Escuintla,
Tecun Uman, and Coban. Child prostitution in towns along the borders with
Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2001 [52] While noting that the
National Plan against Sexual and Commercial Exploitation is in the final stages
of elaboration, the Committee expresses its deep concern that, with regard to
the increasing phenomenon of commercial sexual exploitation of children, in
particular girls, there are no data available, legislation is inadequate,
cases involving sexually exploited children are often not investigated and
prosecuted, and no rehabilitation programs are available. Child
Trafficking Soar in Guatemala Maria Eugenia Villareal,
member of the NGO, said girls aged eight to fourteen are sold as sex slaves
or used in risky sectors like garbage collection and classification, peddling
and construction. Attorney Alex Colop
calls serious problem the absence of laws with severe sanctions for such
practices since the perpetrators walk free on bail or pay a fine. In addition, the children do not press
charges fearing threats from the exploiters or to loose their income source. GUATEMALA:
Where Sexual Exploitation of Minors Is Not a Crime Sexual exploitation of minors is
not classified as a crime in Guatemala, where activists say child sex tourism
is on the rise, and the toughest penalty for "corruption of minors"
and "aggravated procuring" is a 400 dollar fine. "I had problems at home, and
a girlfriend took me to work with her in a bar." That is how Alba, at
the age of 14, began to be sexually exploited in a brothel on the outskirts
of the Guatemalan capital. Her mother was demanding that she bring money
home, and she saw it as a way to earn an income. For Alba's family, which is poor, the 160
dollars a month that she brought home was an important source of income. ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for
Action [DOC] www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/publication/other/english/Doc_page/ecpat_5th_a4a_2001_full.doc [B]
COUNTRY UPDATES – GUATEMALA – The process for the development of a national plan in
Guatemala has been meticulous and long. Due to the regional differences in Child
Prostitution: A Growing Scourge A REGION
OUT OF CONTROL - At least 5,000 minors live in the streets of The Protection Project - Guatemala [DOC] FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - A United Nations report reveals
that about 2,000 prostituted minors were working in Guatemala. Child
prostitution is concentrated in Guatemala City, border-crossing areas,
sectors with a great number of migrant laborers, ports, and areas surrounding
military bases and tourist spots. Traffickers recruit young women and girls
by offering them false immigration papers. According to one report, of the 270
Guatemalan brothels visited by Casa Alianza, 70
percent had female minors and more than half of them came from other
countries in the region. Guatemala - Reports to Treaty Bodies - Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women The Committee expressed concern
about the following elements, inter alia: the apparent lack of
coordination between numerous national mechanisms at various levels aimed at
institutionalizing women's rights and gender mainstreaming; the fact that,
while the Constitution refers to the principle of equality, the terms
"equity" and "equality" appear to be used synonymously in
the government's reports and programmes; the
ambiguity of laws dealing with prostitution, particularly child prostitution;
the high level of child prostitution and sexual exploitation of minors. CASA ALIANZA, A CENTRAL AMERICAN NGO - Instead of the children being sent to an adequate home for trafficked victims, the six girls – as young as 14 and one of them pregnant – were sent to the Gorriones Juvenile Detention Center for Girls, and the boy was sent to a center for delinquent boys. The seven children had been duped into leaving El Salvador to work in ‘legitimate’ work places only to find themselves forced into prostitution. Two men have been arrested in connection with the trafficking of the children but the UN is highly concerned that the victims are also being treated as criminals. Crack Blamed
For Rise In Central American Child Prostitution It didn't used to be so hard for girls
on the street to get drugs such as glue, but the higher price of crack has
induced more children into prostitution.
Nowhere has child prostitution taken off like in If You Turn Up Dead, No One
Will Wonder Why According to Capellín,
who provided IPS with some data from the upcoming
report, the researchers found minors under 18 years of age working as
prostitutes in all of the 50 brothels they visited in Guatemala. All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC §
107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use |
Human Trafficking in [Guatemala] [other countries]Street Children in [Guatemala] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Guatemala