UN asks Panama to Combat Underage Sexual Exploitation in Tourism

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said this Thursday that Panama must take measures to combat the high rates of sexual exploitation in tourist activities that take place in border areas and in the province of Colon, for which it has recommended establishing a stronger alliance with the private sector.

After a session in which it examined Panama’s policies, among those of other countries, for compliance with the International Convention on the Rights of Children, the UN committee recommended that the travel and associated tourism industry be better regulated in the prevention, detection and reporting of cases of child sexual exploitation.  To do this, they added, routine surveillance of tourist accommodation must be carried out to ensure that they comply with standards, as should tourist agencies.  Likewise, they indicated that the reporting of this crime must be more encouraged, the perpetrators prosecuted and penalties commensurate with the seriousness of these cases. 

On the other hand, the Committee expressed its concern that the sanctions established in the Penal Code for perpetrators of the crime of selling children are not proportional to the seriousness of this crime and recommended adjusting these sanctions.  It also noted that current legislation does not effectively address crimes such as online child sexual harassment and abuse, nor the production, possession or distribution (including on the Internet) of images of children in a sexual nature, and considered it urgent to remedy this gap.