Human Trafficking in [Dominican Republic] [other countries]Street Children in [Dominican Republic] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Dominican Republic |
Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children Dominican Republic [ Country-by-Country
Reports ] The |
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Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - The commercial sexual exploitation of children is reported to be a
problem in urban areas, as well as in tourist locations throughout the
country including Boca Chica, Puerto Plata and Sosua. According to a study published by UNICEF and the
National Planning Office in 1999, 75 percent of minors involved in
prostitution were working in brothels, discos, restaurants, and hotels. There
are reports that women and children are trafficked to, from, and within the Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS - Within
the country, the prostitution of minors, primarily in the tourist areas, was
a problem. An official 2003 study estimated that 50 to 60 Haitian children
were trafficked into the country each week and that many Haitian girls age 12
and older were brought into the country to work as prostitutes. In April DNI
dismantled a child prostitution and pornography ring in Sosua
that had posted sexually explicit photos of young children on the Internet.
Police arrested two men. At the request of the attorney general, police
closed down several bars, nightclubs, and "massage parlors" in
Santiago, Santo Domingo, and Boca Chica used for
child prostitution and sexual exploitation of women. In May a judge convicted and
sentenced 3 men to 15 years in prison under the anti-trafficking law for
sexually exploiting 24 children in Boca Chica in 2004. As of October a fourth
suspect was in detention and awaiting trial. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2001 [47] While noting the creation of
the National Inter-Agency Commission for the Prevention and Eradication of
Child Prostitution in Tourist Centers, the Committee expresses its concern at
the absence of data and of a comprehensive study on the issue of sexual
commercial exploitation and sexual abuse of children, as well as at the lack
of implementation of the National Plan of Action to address this issue. In
addition, the Committee expresses its deep concern at the increase of the
number of children in the State party suffering from sexual commercial
exploitation, apparently often related to sex tourism. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights [22] With respect to Article 10 of
the Covenant, the Committee expresses its concern about the situation of
children in the Dominican Republic and, in particular, about reports received
on the occurrence of child labor and child exploitation, including sexual
exploitation, about the increasing number of street children, the low rate of
school enrolment, the high rate of infant mortality and the high number of
pregnancies among school-age females. 30,000
Haitian children smuggled annually Around 30,000 Haitian children are
illegally smuggled into the Haitian
Children Sold as Slave Laborers and Prostitutes On market day in Dajabón, a bustling Dominican town on the Haitian border,
you can pick up many bargains if you know where to look. You can haggle the price of a live chicken down to 40 pesos (72p);
wrestle 10lb of macaroni from 60 to 50 pesos; and, with some discreet
inquiries, buy a Haitian child for the equivalent of £54.22. There is a thriving trade in Haitian children in the Dominican Republic, where they are mostly used for domestic service, agricultural work or prostitution. ECPAT:
Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC] [B]
COUNTRY UPDATES – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – The National Plan of Action in the Dominican Republic has
resulted in CSEC being included in the agendas of state institutions and
especially the Organismo Rector del Sistema de Protección, the main
state body in charge of the protection of children. The most important sign of progress in the Report
by Special Rapporteur [DOC] [38] The sale, trafficking and use
of children in prostitution and pornography are criminal offences for which
the child victim bears no criminal liability, but may be subject to detention
for his or her protection. Particular problems in the country
include the situation of street children, commercial sexual exploitation,
domestic abuse and children in conflict with the law. The National
Plan to Guarantee the Rights of the Child and Adolescent has placed particular
emphasis on tackling these concerns. Study By Profamilia In Dominican Republic Highlights Threats To
Children Profamilia and MAIS
say many parents know their children are prostitutes, but in some cases the
families encourage it to ease their crushing poverty. The country has been
known for years as a sex tourism destination.
"In some nightclubs one can find brochures with pictures of naked
children and phone numbers for taxi drivers that will take them to child
prostitutes," said Maria Josefina Paulino of
MAIS. BACKGROUND - Movimiento
Para el Autodesarrollo Internacional
de la Solidaridad (MAIS)
is a non-profit organization, founded in 1998 in Puerta
Plata, Dominican Republic. It works with youth in especially difficult
circumstances, as well as with their families. The primary objectives of MAIS
are to help the children stay in school; provide dignity in the lives of
children; and prevent the abuse and mistreatment of children, as well as
child prostitution. ACTIVITIES - In this reporting period, MAIS
administered care to 68 children in high risk situations (children who are
out of school, or in school but doing poorly, victims of sexual abuse or
those who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation); and dealt with 39
cases of sexual violence against children and 6 cases of sexual exploitation
of children of a commercial nature. MAIS also facilitated 4 workshops for
adolescents at high risk, children sexually exploited in a commercial
context, and young single mothers. Success
Stories - Elvia in the Dominican Republic Elvia, along with hundreds of other impoverished children in her community, must make a difficult choice between pursuing her education or earning a living in order to support herself. Sadly, with little incentive or encouragement to stay in poorly funded schools and few legitimate opportunities to earn money, girls such as Elvia are easily lured into Puerto Plata’s lucrative sex tourism industry. Crime
and Society - A Comparative Criminology Tour of the World CHILDREN - Sexual exploitation of children
is a problem. Some in the tourist industry have facilitated the sexual
exploitation of children; particular areas of concern are Boca Chica and Puerto Plata. Tours are marketed by foreigners
overseas with the understanding that boys and girls can be found as sex
partners. Committee
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - Press Release Over the course of the meeting,
Committee members commented that child prostitution was a double concern
because of the involvement of children in prostitution and the increase in
cases of HIV/AIDS; while tourism was encouraged as a source of income to the Protection Project - Country Report [DOC] FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - The Dominican Republic is one
of the most popular sex tourism destinations in the world, and it is
advertised on the Internet as a “single man’s paradise.” The major centers of tourism are Luperón, Sosua, Cabarete, and Río San
Juan. The sex industry in the
Dominican Republic is thriving, with an estimated 50,000 women in
prostitution in Santo Domingo alone who provide a stream of income to brothel
owners, corrupt police and other officials, taxi drivers, and hotel guards.
At least 25,000 of the women in prostitution throughout the Dominican
Republic are reportedly underage, with the total number of women in
prostitution in the country estimated by some to be 100,000. It is common to see men from developed
countries accompanied by Dominican girls. Situation
Of Minors In The Dominican Republic E. CHILD PROSTITUTION
-
425. In the Dominican Republic, there is a considerable population of minors
for whom the streets have become home, who have faced a hostile world from an
early age. Most "street children" beg as a means of
subsistence; one-third turn to robbery and other means to get by, such as
selling drugs; and approximately one-fifth engage in prostitution. 427. UNICEF notes that a total of
25,455 minors are employed as prostitutes, and that of that total, 14,508
(57%) practice prostitution in the areas in which they had gone to school.
The study also indicates that two of every three minors who work as
prostitutes are females, and one in three is male. Dominican Republic - Thematic Reports SALE OF
CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION, CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE - In the section on sex tourism,
the report refers to allegations that over 30,000 children in the Dominican
Republic work as prostitutes to escape poverty. Most of these children no
longer live with their parents because they have either been thrown out or
prefer to work on the streets to earn a living for themselves or their
families. Minors who engage in this trade are common in Treaties and Reports to Treaty Bodies Concern was also expressed over
... reports received on the occurrence of child labor and child exploitation,
including sexual exploitation; the increasing number of street children; the
low rate of school enrolment ... All material used herein
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Human Trafficking in [Dominican Republic] [other countries]Street Children in [Dominican Republic] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Dominican Republic