Is Prostitution Legal in the Dominican Republic

Nevertheless, it is estimated that one in four Dominican sex workers is under the legal age. Travelers will see legal brothels, «massage parlors,» and sex workers in many downtown cities such as Puerto Plata Province and Santo Domingo. I`m American and I met my Dominican wife 20 years ago in the United States, which says we often travel to Dom Rep for holidays and tend to stay in non-all-inclusive hotels in different parts of the islands. Not once have we had a problem, but yes, there is prostitution and if you don`t belong to a certain establishment or area, then don`t go there, if you go to a club, expect to play the game, just like in the United States. so use your intelligence as in Don`t flash your money, credit cards, jewelry, etc. Prostitution in the Dominican Republic is legal, but related activities such as brothel keeping or pimping are illegal. [1] [2] However, prostitution laws are generally not enforced. [1] [2] [3] It is estimated that between 6,000 and 10,000 women work as prostitutes in the country,[4] many sex workers from neighboring Haiti. [4] The population of illegal Haitian migrants in the country is particularly vulnerable to exploitation. [5] [6] While prostitution is legal in the Dominican Republic – it is said to have one of the highest rates of prostitution in the world, per capita – sex under the age of 18 is not.

Underage prostitution is a problem, particularly in some urban areas of coastal cities,[12][13] but since 2001, child prostitution has declined, with law enforcement and corruption declining. [14] [15] U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began prosecuting those involved in child prostitution. [16] A 2015 study by the International Justice Mission found that a quarter of sex workers working on streets, parks, and beaches were under the age of 18. [17] Prostitution in the Dominican Republic is more than just an exchange of money for sex. It often happens that these sexual acts are romantic in nature and that women refer to their frequent clients as their lovers. The Dominican Republic is recognized as a major destination for international sex tourism, although operations are mostly concentrated in poor coastal cities such as Boca Chica, Las Terrenas, Sousa and Cabarete, where women have less employment development than in the country`s larger cities. Haitian migrant workers are also active in the sex tourism industry, with many prostitutes of Haitian descent in various locations. Prostitution is legal and police monitor underage sex workers who offer businesses to tourists The Dominican Republic is a Tier 2 country, according to the 2019 Human Trafficking Report, meaning the government is not fully meeting standards to end human trafficking. To go beyond the U.S. State Department`s requirements, the Dominican Republic must more actively pursue more traffickers. The Dominican Republic needs more training for police officers to combat human trafficking and work with street children prone to prostitution.

The International Justice Mission (IJM) is a legal and human rights organization. The institution`s objective is to put an end to contractual servitude. IJM cooperated effectively with the Dominican authorities to serve the peace of the nation. By uprooting perpetrators from the neighbourhoods where they operated, a sense of normalcy and security returned. IJM allows lawyers to justify a case against traffickers based on survivors` testimonies. According to the Attorney General, people who force people into prostitution and clients of prostitutes in the Dominican Republic will be prosecuted as part of the crackdown on sex trafficking. Prostitution has long been practiced openly in much of the Dominican Republic, but sex trafficking for the prostitution industry, both inside and outside the country, is so widespread that the government believes it must now enforce restrictions on prostitution in the Dominican Republic. Due to poverty and/or fleeing harsh domestic environments, the number of young residents joining prostitution is increasing. According to the human rights group International Justice Mission, one in four sex workers in the Dominican Republic is a minor. Unfortunately, many people abroad who engage in this evil activity escape with impunity, as prostitution laws are largely ignored. The number of indigenous minors engaged in prostitution and/or fleeing abusive domestic situations due to poverty is increasing.

The human rights organization International Justice Mission reported in 2015 that one in four sex workers in the Dominican Republic was a minor. Boca Chica on the south coast and Sosua on the north coast are the two main areas of prostitution. These places look like average tourist spots during the day, but prostitutes are easy to find at night, with many sex workers mingling in bars and clubs, targeting relatively wealthy travelers. Disturbingly, many foreigners seeking this shameful trade go unpunished because prostitution laws are rarely enforced. Although many hotels have signed a code of conduct to prevent the exploitation of minors in their shelters and actively advertise that it is illegal to bring minors onto their property, the crime often occurs in private dwellings such as apartments and shacks. With very little government regulation beyond commercial hotels, the exploitation of minors continues. Human trafficking is an important contributor to sex tourism in the Dominican Republic, as the country is considered a destination and transit point by the United Nations and many human rights organizations. Although human trafficking was declared illegal in 2003, women from neighboring Caribbean and Latin American countries such as Haiti and Venezuela are purchased in the Dominican Republic and may become victims of human trafficking, even if they initially chose to enter the country voluntarily. Local women can also be victims of human trafficking, often sent to Western Europe, such as Spain and Switzerland, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama and North America.

Once they have acted, women can find themselves in forced labour, including sexual slavery, against their will. It is also known that women from other parts of the Caribbean, Asia, South America and Eastern Europe are less likely to be trafficked for forced prostitution. [19] Colombian and Venezuelan women brought into the country to dance in strip clubs are forced into prostitution in some tourist areas.