www.CostaRicaTicas.com

From Inside Costa Rica this morning.

"Harsher Punishment For Sexual Abuse of Minors
By a unanimous vote the Legislative Assembly approved the "Ley de Fortalecimiento de la lucha contra la explotación sexual de las personas menores de edad" - a law that fights the sexual exploitation of minors.

The law strengthens the existing laws to combat the sexual exploitation of minors with a punishment of three to eight years in prison for any individual who produces or reproduces pornographic material where the image or voice of a minor is used.

The new law would punishes with up to four years in jail for the distribution of and importation of Ch*ld pornography into the country.

The law also protects minors from being perverted or abused sexually, eliminating the possibility of an abuser to stay out of jail by marrying a minor between the ages of 15 and 18.

Legislator Ana Elena Chacón of the PUSC party who promoted the change said last night that the law will be a great tool to fight impunity and abuse of minors, Cachón added that the laws in the country have been complacent with perpetrators of sex acts against minors.

Mario Viquez, president of the Patranato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) - the Ch*ld welfare agency - said that the legislation closes the loophole and that the result is that it will greatly reduce the production of the material.

In brief, the law punishes with prison: rape from 10 to 18 years; sex with a minor from two to six years; Ch*ld pornography with three to eight years; aggravate corruption and pimping with four to ten years; and the sexual exploitation of minor with two to eight years.

The legislation now waits to be published in the official government publication, La Gaceta."

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Costa Rica needs stricter rules you hear of so many girls getting married at 13-17 to costa rican guys that are 25-45. Majority of that law is aimed at the costa ricans not mongering tourists.

Aren't these laws primarily for punishing foreigners, like Americans?

I believe certain portions are aimed at Ticos primarily:



That is a Tico thing.



Most foreigners are the customers not the pimps who corrupt Ch*ldren.

Certain portions certainly could be used to put Gringos in jail but I do not believe the law was enacted as an anti-gringo measure.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Personally, I find sex with minors reprehensible... Oggling a 16 or 17 yr old and saying "as soon as it turns 18..." that's a different story...

I don't care who the laws are aimed at, so long as they're aimed at assholes who phuk and/or exploit minors...


ok, I'll get off my soap box...