Human Trafficking in [Paraguay] [other countries]
Street Children in [Paraguay] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Paraguay] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Republic of Paraguay [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Republic of Paraguay [map] is located in S central South America and is enclosed by Bolivia (N & W), Brazil (E), and Argentina (S & W). Its capital and largest city is Asunción. Despite political instability, the Code for Children approved in mid-2001 is being implemented. Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. This sector features both re-export of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of micro-enterprises and urban street vendors. A large percentage of the population derives their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Paraguay. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

ECPAT – On-line form for reporting child prostitution and other sexual offences against children

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (Paraguay), and Years Missing

National Plan of Action

U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Paraguay is a source country for women and children trafficked to Argentina and Spain for sexual exploitation and forced labor as well as a destination country for girls trafficked from neighboring countries for sexual exploitation. There are reports of children working as prostitutes in the border regions of Ciudad del Este, Hernandarias and Encarnación, where trafficking is a particular problem. Children from poor families are trafficked internally from rural to urban areas.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

CHILDREN - Sexual exploitation of children also was a problem. UNICEF reported that two-thirds of sex industry workers were minors, the majority of whom began working between the ages of 12 and 13. In addition, UNICEF reported there were more than 40 thousand criadas (domestic servants) between the ages of 6 and 12, who were often sexually exploited as well. In November the government's Municipal Advisory Council on the Rights of Children and Adolescents reported that 35 percent of street children in Ciudad del Este had been victims of sexual exploitation, in many cases with the full knowledge of their parents.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - 2002

Prostitution by adults is not illegal, and exploitation of women, especially teenage prostitutes, remained a serious problem. National daily newspaper Noticias ran a series of features in September and October chronicling child prostitution in Asuncion and other cities in the country. The Penal Code punishes compelling a minor under 18 years of age to work as a prostitute. In July the ILO completed a study that observed children as young as 8 years of age involved in prostitution, many to supplement their families' incomes. In September and October, the newspaper Noticias published a series of anecdotal articles about children working as prostitutes in Asuncion, Ciudad del Este, Ita, and other towns; they often were recruited by boyfriends and older relatives or were runaways.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2001

[49] The Committee expresses its deep concern that, with regard to the increasing phenomenon of commercial sexual exploitation of children, there are no data available, legislation is inadequate, cases involving sexually exploited children are often not investigated and prosecuted, victims are criminalized, and rehabilitation programs are not available. It further notes that a national plan against commercial sexual exploitation of children has not been developed.

Triple Border Project,Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

PERSONAL STORY MABELIA - Mabelia is 10 years old. On November 30, 2002, she was found by a merchant from Ciudad del Este on Adraina Jara y Pampliega street. It was approximately 9:00 p.m. when she was found in, what is perhaps, one of the most frequented corners of the centre of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.

She was very dirty. Dressed in pants and a pullover, and wearing Japanese-style slippers, when she was found she had about 12 USD (80.000 Gs, Guaraníes) in her pockets, a product of her 'sexual activity'. It had been 48 hours since she had returned to her mother's home, but she feared going back, since she had not met the goal that had been established by her mother, Doña Maria.

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – PARAGUAY – In 1999, the NGO Luna Nueva made contact with both governmental and non-governmental organisations working in the Brazilian border town of Foz de Iguacu and the Paraguayan border town of Ciudad del Este. As a result of this contact, a commission has been formed involving organizations working in Paraguay and Foz de Iguacu, Brazil. The aim of this commission is to join efforts against the increasing problem of trafficking of children for sexual purposes in this border region.

Report by Special Rapporteur [DOC]

[59] The Penal Code criminalizes the use of children in prostitution, but does not directly penalize the sale, traffic or use of children in pornography.  In legal proceedings concerning child pornography, cases have been referred under article 135 of the Penal Code, which addresses sexual abuse of children.  Children will only incur criminal responsibility for their involvement in these offences where they are the author, and not as the victim.  Children under the age of 14 do not incur legal responsibility.  Following the commitments made during the Yokohama Congress, a National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Sexual Exploitation is being elaborated.

Brazil, Paraguay Reach Agreement On Resolving Border Issues

Paraguay, on its part, has committed itself to cooperating in fighting illicit activities such as smuggling of goods, tax evasion, drug trafficking, piracy, money laundering and child prostitution.

Concluding Comments - Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

[28] While appreciating the State party's efforts to address the issue of trafficking in women and girls, including the ratification of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2003 and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, in 2004, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography in 2003, and the establishment of an inter-agency board including representatives from the civil society to combat trafficking, the Committee is concerned that domestic legislation has not been put in place in line with those instruments and that provisions on sexual exploitation and trafficking of girls and boys are absent in the Childhood and Adolescence Code. It also expresses concern about the lack of a comprehensive plan to prevent and eliminate trafficking of women and to protect victims as well as the lack of systematic data collection on this phenomenon.

Trafficking in Children

Immigration controls at the Paraguay - Brazil border are extremely lax. Authorities do not request identification papers from unaccompanied children or from adults traveling with young children. It has been reported that while some children are being trafficked across this border from Paraguay to Brazil, others are being trafficked from Brazil into Paraguay.

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Human Trafficking in [Paraguay] [other countries]
Street Children in [Paraguay] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Paraguay] [other countries]