Costa
Rica
Will
No
Longer
Be A
Refuge
For
Sex
Offenders
Of
Minors
Law
intends
to
punish
sex
offenders
of
minors
though
crime
not
committed
in
Costa
Rica
Costa
Rica's
Legislature
on
Wednesday
approved
the
"Ley
para
la
represión
extraterritorial
de
los
delitos
sexuales
contra
menores
cometidas
en
el
extranjero"
- an
Act
for
the
extraterritorial
repression
of
sexual
crimes
against
children
committed
abroad.
The
law
was
first
proposed
in
2008
by
legislator
José
Marino
of
the
Frente
Amplio
party.
The
First
Plenary
Commission
of
the
Legislative
Assembly
on
Wednesday
passed
an
amendment
to
article
7 of
the
Penal
Code,
which
refers
to
international
crimes,
which
can
be
punished
by
Costa
Rica.
With
the
reform,
Costa
Rican
criminal
law
applies
to
offenses
committed
abroad
for
sexual
offenses
against
minors,
to
constitute
it
as a
crime
of
international
prosecution.
Frente
Amplio
legislator,
José
Maria
Villalta,
said
"it
was
urgent
to
grant
extraterritorial
repression
of
sexual
crimes
against
minors
committed
abroad,
and
to
legislate
for
the
most
vulnerable
and
violated
of
their
rights".
"We
need
to
protect
minors,
victims
of
such
behaviours,
with
this
law
we
have
the
mechanism
necessary
to
prevent
impunity
for
this
type
of
crime",
he
said.
With
the
amendment
passed
and
when
it
enters
into
force,
Costa
Rican
authorities
can
bring
proceedings
for
crimes
committed
abroad
when
the
alleged
sexual
offense
is
against
a
minor
and
which
case
Costa
Rican
laws
would
be
applied,
although
the
sexual
offense
was
not
committed
in
Costa
Rica.
"We
are
sending
a
clear
message
to
the
international
community.
Costa
Rica
is
no
refuge
for
sex
offenders
of
minors"
said
Villalta. |
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