“EVERY LAW HAS A LOOPHOLE”: ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES ON THE REGULATIONS ON COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN COSTA RICA

Abstract

This article takes a look at the national and international regulations related to the issue of Commercial Sexual Exploitation, in order to reflect on their applicability and to outline some recommendations that seek to improve the response of the Costa Rican government and its institutions in addressing this problem. The findings suggest that despite the existing laws to protect victims and punish sexual exploiters, the Costa Rican government has not yet developed effective mechanisms for working with potential holding capacities of the victim’s families, for creating cultural policies zero tolerance and for strengthening the problem response in the local or community level.