NewsWhore
11-12-2009, 05:00 PM
Ayacx Mercedes, a social policy specialist for Unicef, has called on local authorities to increase their efforts to combat the trafficking of Haitian children. He said that people smugglers recruit children aged 4 to 12 years in Dajabon and bring them to the DR to be used in domestic service, child prostitution and begging. Mercedes said the abuse needed to be tackled by the authorities because it is a crime of lesa humanity, or a crime against humanity. "The authorities should arrest the people who are profiting from child abuse," he said. He said that the child beggars on Dominican streets are accompanied by adults, who in most of the cases are not their parents, but are also being exploited by the people smugglers.
In an interview with Hoy, Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans, Unicef representative in the country, said that the Dominican and Haitian authorities are aware of the situation. She offered Unicef's support to the Police, the Migration Department, Ministry of Foreign Relations and the National Children's Council (Conani) and similar entities in Haiti to combat the situation. "We are currently trying to get all the parties together to study the problem and see how it can be resolved". She said a bi-national meeting would shortly be held to discuss the matter.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)
In an interview with Hoy, Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans, Unicef representative in the country, said that the Dominican and Haitian authorities are aware of the situation. She offered Unicef's support to the Police, the Migration Department, Ministry of Foreign Relations and the National Children's Council (Conani) and similar entities in Haiti to combat the situation. "We are currently trying to get all the parties together to study the problem and see how it can be resolved". She said a bi-national meeting would shortly be held to discuss the matter.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)