Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Costa Rica

Members

Fundación Paniamor works towards combating CSEC, in particular, trafficking in children and child sex tourism, by raising awareness, working with law enforcement agencies and managing an information database on trafficking. The group has established a training programme on the Code of Conduct for employees from tourism and travel companies.

Fundación PANIAMOR

Contact: Sra. Milena Grillo Rivera
Phone: +506 2342993
Address: 50 mts oeste Beguelmens, 2, San José, Costa Rica
Email: info@paniamor.org
Website: https://paniamor.org/

Facts

Costa Rica, being one of the top tourism destinations in Latin America, especially for eco-tourism, is experiencing an increase in the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.

Costa Rican children are subjected to sex trafficking within the country. Reportedly, those living in the north and central Pacific coastal zones are particularly vulnerable.

Resources

ECPAT International
Protective Environments: a model to prevent child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism context — Colombia case study and Costa Rican experiences

Year: 2023

ECPAT International
Latin America – Summary of Recommendations: Legal Interventions in Latin America

Year: 2022

ECPAT International
The Americas – Preventing the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (GARA)

Year: 2022

GARA, ECPAT International & Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN-OEA)
The Americas – Protocolo y Decálogo para Guías de Turismo 2022 (GARA)

Year: 2022

Download
ECPAT International
Costa Rica – Lista de verificación legal: intervenciones jurídicas claves en la protección de niños, niñas y adolescentes contra le explotación sexual en el contexto de viajes y turismo

Year: 2021

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ECPAT International
The Americas – Overview of Child Protection Standards for Travel and Tourism

Year: 2020

Stories

News from Costa Rica

Indicators

Age of Consent

No

The age of sexual consent is 15 years for both girls and boys. The national legislation provides for a five year close-in-age exemption for minors from the age of 13 years old or 7 years, for children from the age of 15 years old.

Analysis of country legislation on age of sexual consent, 2024

Extraterritoriality & Extradition

Partial

Active extraterritoriality is provided for SEC-related offences but it is required that the offender is located in the territory of Costa Rica and that the proceedings are initiated by request of the competent bodies. Double criminality is not required.

Extradition requires a minimum gravity of one year (covering all SEC-related offences) and requires double criminality.

SECTT Legal Checklist Costa Rica, 2020

CSAM Definition

Not Yet Assessed

Background Check Required

Partial

The national legislation includes a non-mandatory provision for criminal background check. There are no legal provisions prohibiting convicted sex offenders to hold positions involving or facilitating contact with children.

SECTT Legal Checklist Costa Rica, 2020

National Commitments

Partial

Costa Rica has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the OPIC, the Trafficking Protocol and the the ILO Convention No. 182.

Costa Rica has not ratified the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics nor the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote and Budapest Conventions.

SECTT Legal Checklist Costa Rica, 2020

Child Advocacy Centers

Not Yet Assessed

SEC Police Unit

Not Yet Assessed

Protection Standards Travel and Tourism

Partial

Costa Rica has implemented a national code for child protection in travel and tourism as a non-binding requirement for industry operators.

SECTT Legal Checklist Costa Rica, 2020

Public SEC Case Data

Not Yet Assessed