The agenda of the Congress should prioritize public policies focusing children and teenagers, and the rigorous punishment of sexual exploiters of children and teenagers worldwide

That consensus was informally articulated in debates held on Thursday (11/27), during the 3rd World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, in Riocentro, Rio de Janeiro.

The coordinator of the Parliamentary Front for the Defense of Children’s and Teenagers´ Rights, Deputy Maria do Rosário (PT-RS), defended a greater interchange among parliaments, to enhance legislation against the international children traffic and the sexual exploitation of children on the internet. Maria do Rosário created some extra work to the Brazilian Legislative Power, requiring from the Senate the approval of bills proposed by the Mixed Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (CPMI) on Sexual Exploitation, which worked in Congress from 2003 to 2004, and from which the deputy was the rapporteur.

"Regarding government policies, Brazil has been significantly advancing. In legislative terms, though, we have been slow. The Chamber has approved bills that are paralyzed in the Senate. These projects should be effectively prioritized, since we have to advance in legislation”, highlighted the congresswoman. Maria do Rosário mentioned as an example of this priority the change in Penal Code (Executive-Decree 2.848/40), which rules that any report about violence against children be adjudged, no matter the situation or the will of the parents. “The parents are frequently involved in violence against children”, she explained.

The president of the Mixed Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, Senator Patrícia Saboya (PDT-CE), reminded that, from 80 worst cases of sexual children’s and teenagers´ exploitation, only 55 became criminal lawsuits. She also lamented the fact that only 3 of 29 accused people have been condemned, and that only one is still in jail.

Education
In a meeting with young people at the Teenager’s Space, in Riocentro, Deputy Rita Camata (PMDB-ES), who was the rapporteur for the Children’s and Teenagers´ Act (ECA - Law 8.069/90), defended concrete actions of public policies to face the problem, and suggested absolute priority to education. “The best way to prevent, protect and prepare our young people and our children is to offer them a quality education, and to offer it for longer than the one we have nowadays in Brazil. I bring that as a challenge and as an agenda that Brazilian Parliament will have to work out.”

The deputy also highlighted that Brazilian legislation is advanced, and needs only fine tuning to impose more rigorous limits to modern crimes, such as pedophilia and children pornography on the internet.

Deputy Paulo Henrique Lustosa (PMDB-CE) encouraged the intense participation of children and teenagers in subjects that interest them and that are being processed in Congress. He cited the examples of Plenarinho (Little Congress), the children´s website of the Chamber of Deputies, and the program “Children’s Chamber”, highlighting that many suggestions made by young “congresspeople” are eventually taken over by federal deputies and are transformed into bills.

"Our challenge is to create a Legislative power that is closer to children. There is no use in creating a Children’s Committee only to address their issues. Children and teenagers should be focused in every discussion about education, health, public safety and other areas”, Lustosa affirmed.

Report - José Carlos Oliveira/Special envoyé to Rio de Janeiro
Editing - Simone Ravazzolli
Translation: Positive