Guatemalan Government Must Act To End Exploitation Of Girls
July 7, 2005 6:05 PM
A Liberal Democrat Member of the Human Rights Committee in the European Parliament has called on the Guatemalan Government to do more to prevent the trafficking and exploitation of girls in their country.
Liz Lynne MEP, who has long campaigned for an end to trafficking said if they do not take action they should be condemned by the international community.
Speaking during a debate in the Parliament today she said:
"Guatemala is caught up in a culture of violence, which the government has been unable to curb. There is a feeling of terror, mainly among families who live in slums and poor neighbourhoods, where the highest murder rates are found and trafficking of women and children is commonplace.
"No protection, no justice" is the title of a report issued last month by Amnesty International that captures the horror lived out by the victims of sexual abuse and exploitation in the Central American country. Amnesty estimates that nearly 1200 women and girls were brutally killed between 2001 and 2004. Many had been raped and fewer than one in 10 of these murders have been investigated, according to the report.
"A nine-month study beginning in 2003 led to the discovery of 688 girls trafficked in to different Guatemalan cities. These girls aged 14-18 were not only from Guatemala but from other Latin American Countries as well. All the girls were recruited by criminal organisations.
"They were led to believe that they were being recruited to work as waitresses in Guatamala, only to be told of their true job later on. They are often beaten up or locked in a room for several days without food for being disobedient. They don't run away as they are living in a state of fear.
"The Government must prosecute these criminals who are involved in Trafficking.
"Disturbingly other illegal practices have developed including kidnapping babies, paying mothers to rent their wombs and buying babies from very poor mothers. Guatamala must bring in specific legislation on adoptions and apply the Hague Convention on inter-country adoptions.
"If the Government fail to take measures to tackle all these issues then they should be condemned by the International community."
ENDS
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