Sex tourism is increasing globally due to regular tourists and business people are increasingly molest children. Most perpetrators were not going to abuse a child, but do it because the opportunity arose and they feel it to be able to get away. This opportunity offenders, and not pedophiles, the largest group are abusers.
This report Defence for Children, part of children's network ECPAT International Thursday that the extensive investigation "Offenders on the Move 'published about sex tourism. According to the researchers, the risk of children being increased from sexual exploitation (18 years old) victim because the tourism industry has grown tremendously over the past 20 years. "Even the most remote parts of the world are now visited for pleasure or work."
The development that tourists, volunteers, expatriates and people who are guilty of abuse on business, makes it difficult to take action. "The typical perpetrator" does not exist, writes Defence for Children. "White, Western, wealthy middle-aged men are no longer the typical culprits." Many traveling offenders appear to originate in the country or region in which the abuse occurs. This creates new problems in its approach because perpetrators in Asia, for example often not prosecuted.
Not only the perpetrators are difficult to identify. No child is immune, the researchers write."Victims are not just poor." Some children are more vulnerable than others, such as marginalized children, including minorities and street children. But even in rich countries, sex tourism common.
The investigation "Offenders on the Move 'worked with dozens of organizations around the world. The conclusion that sex tourism is based on seventy-growing country reports, which often (from fieldwork) that offer sex with children is increasing. Theo Noten Defence for Children recognizes that no exact comparable country figures underlie their research, which does not complete the report.
Shame and lack of data
For example, causes embarrassment sure that many victims remain silent about abuse.Often lack data that countries maintain. In Western Europe, for example, more cases of sex tourism known than in Eastern Europe, which gives a distorted picture.
Aysel Sabahoglu, children associate of Terre des Hommes, nevertheless recognize the picture painted in the report. "From our fieldwork, for example the Philippines also show that children, through the internet and mobile telephony are increasingly caught up in sexual networks," says Sabahoglu. "The image we have of the perpetrators matches. Which usually come by chance on the beach or in a bar in contact with sex tourism. "
Rik Goverde of aid agency Save the Children, like Terre de Hommes not involved in the research, thinks it sounds plausible to growing tourism creates more sexual tourism. The same goes according to him the increasing flow of refugees: the more people on the run, the more people the chance of vulnerable children fall into hands that are wrong with them before. "We see this for example in children from Nigeria, who are often alone on the flight, and a high risk of falling into the hands of, inter alia, the European sex industry."
By Editorial Volkskrant: by Pieter Smit Hotse Photo: AFP
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