Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EXPLOITATION & COSTA RICA'S SEX TRADE
Exit the baggage claim at the international airport in San José and you'll be welcomed by
a sign that reads 'In Costa Rica sex with children under 18 is a serious crime. Should you
engage in it we will drive you to jail'. For decades, travelers have arrived in Costa Rica in
search of sandy beaches and lush mountainscapes. Unfortunately, an unknown percent-
age of them also come in search of sex - not all of it legal.
Prostitution by men and women over the age of 18 is perfectly legal. But the tourist jug-
gernaut of the last few decades has fueled illicit activities at its fringes - namely child
prostitution and, to a lesser degree, human trafficking. Sex with a minor in Costa Rica is
illegal, carrying a penalty of up to 10 years in jail, but child prostitution has nonetheless
flourished. In fact, a number of aid groups, along with the country's national child-welfare
agency (Patronato Nacional de la Infancia; PANI), estimate that there may be as many as
3000 child prostitutes in San José alone. In turn, this has led to women and children be-
ing trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, as documented in a 2008 report is-
sued by the US Department of State.
Alarm over the problem has increased steadily since 1999, when the UN Committee on
Human Rights issued a statement saying that it was 'deeply concerned' about child-sex
tourism in Costa Rica. Since then, the government has established national task forces to
combat the problem, trained the police force in how to deal with issues of child exploita-
tion and formed a coalition against human trafficking. But enforcement remains weak -
largely due to lack of personnel and lack of funding. Meanwhile the USA - the principal
source of sex tourists to Costa Rica - has made it a prosecutable crime for Americans to
have sex with minors anywhere in the world.
Along with Thailand and Cambodia, Costa Rica is one of the most popular sex-tourism
destinations in the world, according to Ecpat International, a nonprofit dedicated to end-
ing child prostitution. The phenomenon has been magnified by the internet: there are en-
tire sex-tourism websites, in which Costa Rica figures prominently.
Various organizations fight the sexual exploitation of children in Costa Rica. See the
websites of Ecpat International (
www.ecpat.org
)
and Cybertipline
(
www.cybertipline.com
) to learn more about the problem or to report any incidents you
encounter.
