Sexual Exploitation Alive And Well In Costa Rica's Coastal Areas

Although little is talked about it in public, sexual exploitation is alive and well in Costa Rica, mainly centering in coastal areas, where residents know about but prefer to keep quiet in fear of reprisals by organized groups behind the criminal activity.

Fundación Rahab is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the PANI - the child welfare agency - to combat the problems that is lived in coastal communities, specifically Jacó and Quepos on the Pacific and Limón on the Caribbean coast.

"Costa Rica has become a sexual tourist destination. The country is an destination, origin and transit. There are women from all nationalities", says Marialana Morales of Rahab.

Morales says that the those being the trafficking and organized crime are known to residents, but are not reported for fear of reprisals.

"Small town, big hell", is one description for these areas where the criminal activity is ongoing and permitted by residents who will not call police and testify against the organized groups.

In addition the exploited women do not call authorities to intervene and in some cases even have children with the leaders of the organized groups, another form of control.

"It's sad" Morales told CRHoy in describing the situation of Costa Rica, where the social scourge begins to make visible some of the many victims while many unknown remain tangled in the criminal web.

The real existence commerical sexual exploitation or prostitution, as it is commonly called, in small communities surfaced recently in the case of the mayor of Aguirre (that includes the areas of Quepos and Parrita) who is linked to sex crimes, including child pornography and child prostitution.

The case confirms that not only there are organizations operating in coastal areas, but do so openly with the knowledge of residents and authorities and in the case of Aguirre, the alleged participation of the community's elected official.

The question is how many more cases like Aguirre exist? especially in areas like Jacó and Limón where prostitution is part of the local economy.

What about Guanacaste? Although there is knowledge of similar situations occurring in the country's north Pacific coast, little is being about about. Or if even could be done about it.

Why is the problem greater in the coastal areas than in major centres like San José?

The answer is not easy. But the lack of resources of authorities and the remoteness of the areas, the combination of opportunity and the disintegration and dysfunctionality of family groups, the naiveté of youth, deceptions by criminal groups and the fact that some have live with sexual exploitation from an early age, are all contributing factors.