National Police present results of programs to care for victims of sex tourism

Sex tourism is based on people who travel to another country or take advantage of their travel in places other than their residence to have sex with local people, in many cases with minors. In this crime sexual and child exploitation go hand in hand. Responsibility may lie with local or foreign people.

This year in Colombia, there are eight captures and one charge for this crime. In addition, nine child victims of these incidents arrived at the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF). As part of the operations carried out this year, the National Police highlighted the dismantling of the criminal groups “Los Cacos” in Cundinamarca and “Los Manguruma” in Antioquia, who operated sex tourism networks, in several municipalities of the two departments.

Within the framework of Holy Week, the Directorate of Special Services of the National Police highlighted the results of programs for the comprehensive protection of the rights of children and adolescents during this season, in which, according to Pro Colombia, more than 25,000 foreign tourists are expected to enter and mobilization of approximately 834,000 national tourists.

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Authorities pointed out that one such educational project is: “Safe Tourism”, a plan that seeks to protect children and adolescents from the crime of commercial sexual exploitation of minors during this season. According to the Police, so far this year 22,946 prevention actions have been carried out with 248,681 people benefited, within the framework of this institutional initiative.

The offence of commercial sexual exploitation of a person under 18 years of age establishes a prison sentence of fourteen to twenty-five years in Colombia.

Another program that is being implemented is called “Responsible Tourism”, which focuses on control activities to establishments that provide tourism services, verifying compliance with the adoption of the code of conduct and registration in the National Tourism Registry. To date, 15,165 control actions have already been carried out.

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According to the Red Foundation, “violence, drug trafficking and displacement encourage commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism. For their hooking, pimps move in areas of invasion, market places and popular sectors where children are most vulnerable.”

Recommendations of the National Police not to commit crimes of sex tourism:

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