Prostitution in Chile is legal, subject to regulation, but related activities such as keeping

brothels A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub ...

and

pimping Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...

are prohibited.Report on Human Rights Practices 2006: Chile

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs (DRL) is a bureau within the United States Department of State. The bureau is under the purview of the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. DRL's res ...

(6 March 2007). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...

.'' Several hundred women were registered as prostitutes with the National Health Service. Although illegal, brothels are set up in the more remote areas of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

in ports, mining towns, logging areas or anywhere where there are men working away from home.

Legal situation

The promotion and facilitation ( procuring and advertising) of prostitution is prohibited, as well as everything related to those under 18 (although the age of sexual consent for consensual and non-commercial acts for

heterosexuals Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" ...

is 14 years). Until 1998 male homosexual prostitution was banned as

sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sod ...

was considered a crime in Article 365 of the Penal Code. The same code in articles 373 and 495 sanctions "offences to modesty, morals and good manners", which is applied to those who perform sexual acts in public of any nature, whether or not there is a commercial purpose. However, prostitution may be an aggravating factor of public order, depending on the criteria of

Carabineros The was an armed carabiniers force of Spain under both the monarchy and the Second Spanish Republic, Second Republic. The formal mission of this paramilitary gendarmerie was to patrol the coasts and borders of the country, operating against ...

. However, police often detain prostitutes (usually as a result of complaints by neighbourhood residents) on charges of "offences against morality," which could lead to a 50,000 pesos fine or five days in prison. The Sanitary Code refers to prostitution in Paragraph II of

venereal diseases Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral s ...

, which specifically prohibits brothels, but legitimises the existence of prostitution. Chilean law requires sex workers to register with the Health Registry of the Ministry of Health (Minsal), and to undergo periodic medical. The Regulation on

sexually transmitted infections Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...

and the Minsal's management and treatment guidelines includes specific sections on sex workers. Sex workers have reported that law is frequently not enforced and there is corruption within the police.

Sex trafficking

Most human trafficking victims are women and minors trafficked internally for sexual exploitation. Chilean women and girls respond to false job offers and subsequently are subjected to forced prostitution. Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 Country Narratives – Countries A Through C
State.gov. Retrieved on 30 March 2011. Victims are also trafficked from the country to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, Bolivia, the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. Foreign women from

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

, Haiti,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

, Colombia, and

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

, in addition to

n countries such as China, are lured to Chile with fraudulent job offers and subsequently coerced into prostitution. The

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) is an agency within the United States Department of State charged with investigating and creating programs to prevent human trafficking both within the United States and internation ...

ranks Chile as a ' Tier 1' country.

Child prostitution

Inducing a minor (below age 18) to have sex in exchange for money or other favours is illegal. Punishment ranges from three to 20 years in prison and a 520,000 pesos fine depending on the age of the minor. A police sexual crimes brigade was specifically charged with investigating and prosecuting pedophilia and child pornography cases. In 2003, the Government of Chile estimated that there were approximately 3,700 children involved in some form of

commercial sexual exploitation Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appea ...

; in 1999, UNICEF put the number of child prostitutes much higher, estimating that there were approximately 10,000 children between the ages of 6 and 18 involved in prostitution. Arturo Herrera, the director of Chile's PDI investigative police, resigned in 2009 following scandal in which police officers were deeply involved in a child prostitution ring. It was alleged that police took payment in the form of sex with drugged girls in return for protection of two brothels in Valparaiso run by Carlos Parra Ruis.

References

External links

Child Prostitution
{{South America in topic, Prostitution in

Legal situation

Sex trafficking

Child prostitution

See also

References

External links