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

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Portuguese Republic (Portugal) [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Portuguese Republic [map] is located in SW Europe on the western side of the Iberian Peninsula and includes the Madeira Islands and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is bordered by Spain (E & N) and by the Atlantic Ocean (W & S). Its capital and largest city is Lisbon. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the 1990’s, but fell back in 2001-04. GDP per capita stands at two-thirds that of the Big Four EU economies. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth.

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

CHILDREN - The high-profile trial of a pedophilia operation at the Casa Pia children's home in Lisbon that began in November 2004 continued at year's end. The 8 defendants faced charges ranging from procurement and rape to homosexual acts with adolescents and sexual abuse of minors for abusing 46 children.

Trafficking of children for sexual exploitation and forced labor remained a problem.

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

[30] The Committee notes the State party's recent initiative to develop mechanisms allowing doctors, teachers and other relevant professionals to lodge complaints of alleged sexual abuse or exploitation of children (Law 99 of 25 August 2001).

[56] The Committee notes the State party's intention, as declared during the dialogue, to proceed with ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and to adopt relevant domestic legislation.

Concluding Observations - Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights - 2000

[14] The Committee takes note with concern of the increase in pedophilia and child pornography. These phenomena are associated with the increase in drug trafficking and consumption and other criminal activities that endanger the security and health of the population of the State party.

Portugal Braced As Child Prostitution Ring Trial Opens

The case has shocked Portugal, making some people aware of pedophilia for the first time and throwing into question the way governments have run orphanages.

CRC Concludes Consideration of Portugal's Report on Compliance with Convention - 1 October 2001

DISCUSSION - Asked about the sexual abuse of children, the delegation said that the minimum age for sexual consent was 14 years and sexual crimes committed against children below that age were punished by law. Those who facilitated prostitution activities involving children under 18 years were prosecuted. To that end, the Government had signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Sale of Children, Child Pornography and Child Prostitution.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning concluded its consideration of a fourth periodic report of Portugal - 15 November 2000

DISCUSSION - In response to the questions raised by Committee experts during the previous meeting, the members of the delegation of Portugal said that a number of agencies had been set up to oversee the well-being of children and their development in and outside the family. A mechanism had also been established to coordinate the work of the various agencies dealing with children. In addition, the Government had also put in place a legislative provision in which child abuse had been made a crime. In order to reduce child prostitution, particularly that catering to tourists, the Government had taken measures to create employment for street children.

Monitoring - Protection - What Makes Good Laws Against CSEC ? [DOC]

WHAT MAKES GOOD LAWS AGAINST COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN?

FORMAL COMPLAINT REQUIREMENT - Brazil, Chile and Venezuela, among others, have procedures that require older children (on average from 15 years and up) to file a complaint before a prosecution can take place. In Portugal, victims older than 16 years must file a complaint, but for cases involving younger children the public prosecutor may prosecute independently if it is in the victim’s interest.

The Protection Project - Portugal [DOC]

FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - Women are trafficked to Portugal for prostitution. In 2001, Brazilian authorities investigated possible Brazilian police involvement in a smuggling ring that sent Brazilian women to Spain and Portugal, where they were forced into prostitution. Authorities believed that the operation, which involved mostly minors, was tied to the mafia on the Iberian Peninsula. An estimated 500 Brazilian women were victims of the ring.

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