Census of year 2000 finds population at 3,610,179.
Four out of every 10 persons living in poverty in Costa Rica are children 12 years old or younger (La Nacion, November 23, 2001).
One third of babies born in Costa Rica in 1999 were born to unknown fathers (La Nacion, May 11, 2000).
The Costa Rican child social service agency (PANI) received nearly 20,000 complaints of child abuse in 2001 (La Nacion, April 16, 2002).
Out of the 20 most wanted men in Costa Rica, 9 are wanted for committing sexual offenses or crimes (La Nacion, April 19, 2004).
Minors both male and female who are victims of sexual exploitation for commercial purposes experience every type of violation of their rights as human beings.. This includes extreme poverty, expulsion from school, pregnancy at an early age, psychological, physical and sexual abuse, drug addiction, and neglect or abandonment by their families (OIT, IPEC, May 2002).
Out of a survey of 100 minors working in the streets of San Jose when interviewed about their first experience being sexually exploited for commercial purposes taken by the International Program for the Eradication of Child Labor in 2001:
The same survey also found that out of the 100 minors who were being sexually exploited for commercial purposes:
| 86% stated they use alcohol |
| 80% stated they use marijuana |
| 34% stated they use cocaine |
| 41% stated they use crack |
Over five thousand foreigners visit Costa Rica with the intent to sexually exploit minors and other resident nationals in the country (Casa Alianza, 2000).
Prostitution (18 years of age or older) is a recognized legal profession in Costa Rica. Sexual exploitation of minors for commercial purposes is not!
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