The director of Colombia’s Family Welfare agency ICBF has stated that more than 300 child sex exploitation cases have been submitted since the beginning of 2013, and that many more young people are being abused without any assistance from the police or authorities.
ICBF director of protection Ingrid Rusinque stated in an interview with Radio Caracol that 300 underage victims of abuse at the hands of sex tourists had been taken into care by ICBF, 97% of whom were girls.
However, due to the hidden nature of child exploitation, and the fact that many youths who are involved are in very vulnerable situations, most commonly due to the fact that they are homeless and thus “out of sight, out of mind” Rusinque suggests that the real number of exploited children will be significantly higher.
Rusinque went on to state that the areas in Colombia where child sex exploitation is most common are in Colombian states Bolivar , Antioquia, Caldas , Valle del Cauca and Bogota.
The abused children were passed to ICBF by law enforcement or social services authorities where they will receive support, accommodation, medical attention and counselling as a means of rebuilding lives potentially shattered by the hard realities they have been forced to live.
Government needs to step up and face problem
While ICBF acknowledges the important role in bringing these youths to safety, Rusinque states that authorities need to step up to the challenge of eradicating youth sexual exploitation from Colombian society.
ICFB recently began a joint project with the Medellin police force which will see a higher number of officers from the youth and adolescent unit on the street, and the installation of CCTV security cameras in areas known for youth sex exploitation which are frequented by sex tourists and locals alike.
According to ICBF many children are still falling through the net, and a more cohesive plan must be made by the police and local authorities to assist these exploited youths and place them in a safe environment.
MORE: Colombia’s tourist hotspots show high levels of child sex exploitation: UNICEF
Child sex exploitation and the massive sex trade in Colombia´s main tourist hubs has been a hot topic in recent weeks after the release of the UK independent newsgroup Channel 4´s documentary “Medellin, the world´s biggest brothel” which has generated a lot of conversation about the topic, much to the concern and denial of Medellin city council officials.
The documentary by Peruvian journalist Guillermo Galdos paints a grim picture of life in Medellin. The running theme throughout the documentary is that while life has improved for the majority of people since the lawlessness of the eighties and nineties drug wars, that the city is a dangerous place for young women who can often find themselves forced into the sex trade.
As reported by El Tiempo, Vice-Mayor of Medellin Wilson Lopez argued that the documentary was misleading and inaccurate in its depiction of Medellin. Lopez argued that portraying Medellin as the world’s largest brothel was unjust in its portrayal of Antioquia’s capital city, which was voted the world city of innovation in 2012.
In his comments made to El Tiempo Lopez argued that problems with organized crime groups and under-age prostitution could be found in most large metropolitan cities worldwide and that Medellin was receiving an unfair amount of attention, for a city which had worked hard to rebuild its name after the narco years of Pablo Escobar.
However, while the documentary has been called sensationalist by some, Medellin councilman and defender of children’s rights in Colombia, Luis Bernardo Velez has publically stated that child exploitation and the sex trade of minors in Medellin is a real problem which is being ignored by the police and government authorities.
The law
While the legal age of consent is comparatively low in Colombia, with sex between two consensual partners legal at the age of fourteen, the laws on paying for sex with a minor are very clear.
Paying for sex with a youth under the age of 18 is illegal in Colombia and those who provide or pay for the services can face between 14 and 25 years in prison.
A considerable fine is also applicable which can range between 67 to 750 minimum monthly salaries, which currently amounts to $20,300 USD to $22, 7250 USD.
While the legal basis exists for harsh punishments for those involved in the child sex trade, the reality is that local police forces are known to turn a blind eye to the crime.
In the major cities of Colombia areas exist where it is public knowledge that people can pay for sex with youngsters, many of whom ply their trade in full view of the public.
At a recent conference based on protecting children and adolescents in Colombian society, director of ICBF Cristina Plazas said:
“I emphatically call on the community to protect our children. Tell the foreigners that they are welcome in the country, but we are not going to accept the sexual exploitation of our children and adolescents… I call on the entire society to change the world, and the only way we can do this is to protect our young people. Rather than being mistreated, they should be playing, being educated and receiving love and a good example from all of us”.
ICBF and other child protection agencies are calling on the general public and the police to make a stand and crack down on those who pay for sex with children, a crime which would see lengthy custodial sentences and public fury in most other countries.
Sources
- Son mas de 300 las víctimas de turismo sexual infantil en Colombia (El Espectador)
- Se fortaleceran Defensorías de Familia para erradicar la explotacion sexual de niños, niñas y adolescentes (ICBF)
- Medellín quiere esconder prostitucion infantil debajo de la alfombra (El Tiempo)
- La dura radiografia de la prostitucion infantil en Medellin (El Tiempo)