20 Aug 2010 • Trafficking and exploitation Colombia

The first pedophile tourist sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment

- Published by Darcissac, Marion

Press Release
Lausanne, 16 July 2010

Success in the Fight against Sexual Exploitation of Children in Colombia

For the first time a foreign citizen has been convicted of child pornography, sexual intercourse with minors of less than 14 years, and incitement to prostitution. The sentence of 15 years of jail and a fine of 30,000 dollars should have a deterrent effect on pedophile sex tourists currently operating with impunity on the North coast of the country. After 11 convictions of Colombian nationals involved in child prostitution, this is a success in the fight of ‘Terre des hommes’ against a scourge affecting hundreds of children. The Swiss NGO offers legal support to the victims.

Yesid Torres, aged 15, was forced to provide sexual services under the cover of domestic work to an Italian paedophile, aged 72, in a rented apartment in a wealthy residential area of the city. Other young adults and minors were also involved, including the younger brother of Yesid’s best friend, aged 13 at the time. Yesid died on his way to hospital from an overdose of cocaine taken in the company of the Italian. A camera containing pornographic pictures was found immediately afterwards in the apartment, together with whisky, drugs and the drunk and half naked paedophile himself. The sexual services were rewarded in kind. For example, a new motorbike was offered to Yesid by the perpetrator.

The foreign perpetrator was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of 30,000 dollars. His two accomplices got 10 years of jail time and a fine of 14,000 dollars. “This is a historical sentence, breaking the conspiracy of silence and complicity that was suffocating the victims of sexual exploitation and protecting the perpetrators for years.” Raffaele Salinari, Chair of Terre des Hommes International Federation, (declared), adding: “TDH has been supporting the victims throughout these years, so we are very satisfied about the verdict. We will keep up our commitment to the victims of sex tourism until sexual crimes are considered crimes against humanity.” The process has already had an important impact. Tdh withstood the pressure in an environment where money makes the world go round.

Sex tourism is widespread in Cartagena. Extreme poverty and the armed conflict between the Government and the Rebels are some of the reasons why children end up into sexual exploitation for survival. At the airport, some taxi drivers offer a range of young boys and girls of all ages and skin colours. Bars in the city centre provide minor girls aged 13 or 14 with fake identity papers. In order to look older, they wear make-up and short clothes. Transactions are agreed on-site, then the elderly European and Northern American clients take the girls to one of the cheap hotels in the area open day and night. It is possible to bring minors to all kinds of hotels, from the most luxurious to the cheapest, even if access to the hotel is allegedly forbidden to minors. Concierges and night watchmen can be bribed easily.

Cartagena’s over 500,000 inhabitants live in extreme poverty. Many have fled from rural areas due to the armed conflict between governmental and rebel forces. Sometimes sexual exploitation of children is linked to the survival of the families.

For more information please contact:
Antoine Lissorgues, Terre des hommes delegate in Colombia (French/Spanish) +57 314 594 44 03
or Raffaele Salinari (French, English, Italian, Spanish) Chair of Terre des Hommes International Federation, +39 3 29 22 53 773.

Download the Press release