SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic). - Boca Chica, a paradise where anything can happen. This tourist destination has become a huge market in child sex, ranging in age from nine to 16 years, who offer their services to tourists and nationals, regardless of sex or age.
From seven in the evening, Boca Chica is an underworld of children coming out of corners everywhere who now dance for money, the new rates, as a prelude to the start of sexual exploitation.
Suddenly, it seems to be in the biblical city of Sodom and Gomorrah. The degradation and the shows that convert to humans to mere object, undermine emotional stability and, above all, against right of children and girls to have a healthy life. All this happens under the indifferent gaze of accomplices in some cases and in others, the authorities responsible for security and public order of national and foreign citizens who swarm the place.
Calle Duarte, a public brothel
A strip of Calle Duarte, the main artery of this population is a good opportunity. Its closed from seven in the evening to the morning-from the Hamaca hotel at the corner of the park -. In this work, the actors are children, boys and girls who give their charm to the highest bidder. It is the ideal place for lust. Drug consumption can not miss and is the bread our of each night.
Necessarily, tourism officials and the Governor have the best view, because the building that houses both institutions is right in the middle of the day bacchanal of this resort, just 30 minutes away from the capital city, going to the East.
The testimonies of children themselves make your hair stand on end to anyone, even people adept and accustomed to touch and see human misery.
Just stopping in a corner of this section gives rise to the conversation with one of the children who swarm around him. This is the case of C. ..., who, with just 9 years, chronicles the situations that occur daily in this huge public brothel, which he himself is a victim.
What happens here from seven in the evening? I ask. Quite naturally and brash, C. .. that "here in the Duarte people dance, pick up women, men, drugs ...".
You mean children like you?, Is the obvious question. Without thinking twice, C. .. states that "of course, but here is what else is Sanky panky, children who go with tourists for money and drugs, even after you remove the POLITUR rooms and take them prisoners."
This lower starts in prostitution at the state of abject poverty in which he lives with his family in a slum tourism surrounding the Boca Chica, where foreigners "gringos", I call them no matter their nationality, seek to satisfy their sexual desires.
This testimony is corroborated by the Public Ministry responsible for children and adolescents in Boca Chica, Varona Marleni glove when he says that "not all, but yes, there are cases of police corruption at all levels," which includes POLITUR members, whose manager, Captain Julio César Pérez Heredia said, his voice and expression secure, from the current management of the body, just two months, "the sexual exploitation of children has dropped by more than 90 percent ".
Of course, the director and founder of the NGO Walkers, which deals precisely the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation of children in the area, Denisse Pichardo, is not convinced of the percentage figures given by the official POLITUR, so his quick response was "that, even they believe it."
The "sankypankismo" as a profession
But ... What is a Sanky panky? The response was swift "are those who are asking the gringos, and go with them to do things." In inquiring about what things do, C ... slyly responds, "are men and women and do things. Tourists come and give money to impress on them things ".
The "things" referred to this child, who was not identified for protection include oral sex to sex offenders to 80 years, who come to this paradise that is offered as a panacea for their problems.
Stored in a shady place is the Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations, which is a signatory country, which in Article 19 says: "The State shall protect children from all forms of abuse perpetrated by mothers, fathers or anyone else responsible for your care and preventive measures and treatment about it. "
With only nine years, C. .. is far from being subject to this duty, others failed by the Dominican State. Rather, it has become a faithful portrait of a "tiguere" early. She swallowed all fear bravely against adversity that has been exposed. He continues his explanation and argues that "Sanky panky live on the beach. There are small children in prostitution. These children also smoke their thing. The drug that is consumed here is cocaine, marijuana, all drugs. "
C. .. not considered a Sanky, establishes their differences, very dialed, according to him, not only in the type of clothing that use few and others, but also because attends to school.
According reveals the "Study qualitative on commercial sexual exploitation of children, girls and adolescents in the Dominican Republic", conducted for UNICEF by Julia Hasbún in 2006, most of these minors have never attended a school. For them, the level of schooling is a status.
He also says, "These children are thrown onto the streets by their parents, who care for them, and expose the serious dangers of the commercial sexual exploitation." Most come from homes mononuclear.
The referred study establishes that "according the personal testimonies, mothers are dedicated or have been dedicated to prostitution, so that this form of life is something normal".
A fact in this whole situation is that there is a state policy aimed at eradicating the disease, especially when from within the Ministry of Tourism is promoting this as a sexual paradise for foreign visitors, men and women.
This is confirmed by the prosecutor deputy prosecutor in the area of Children and Adolescents, when he declares that there are no policies, programs or plans of the State, to definitively eradicate the sexual exploitation of minors.
In Boca Chica, the children are there in the red zone, destroying their existence against the impassive gaze of tourists, foreign investors, authorities and all those who in one way or another benefit from this human misery.
Ivonne Ferreras/7dias.com.do |
