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but did not report doing so or providing any legal, medical, or psychological services or long-term care to adult trafficking victims during this reporting period. In past years, Panamanian authorities encouraged victims to assist with the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenders, although few victims chose to do so. The government did not provide foreign victims with legal alternatives to their return to countries where they may face hardship or retribution, although in past years foreign victims were allowed to remain in country during investigations.
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276:, this constitutes human trafficking as defined by international protocol, and carries a sentence of eight to 10 years. Article 180 prohibits the internal and transnational trafficking of minors for sexual servitude, prescribing prison terms of eight to 10 years' imprisonment, and Article 179 prohibits subjecting an individual to sexual servitude using threats or violence.
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The prescribed sentence is four to six years imprisonment, which is increased to six to nine years if trafficking offenders use deceit, coercion, or retain identity documents, and is further increased to 10 to 15 years if the victim is under 14 years of age. Article 177 prohibits sexually exploiting another person for profit. Under aggravated circumstances of
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313:'s trafficking victims unit to provide assistance to foreign trafficking victims. During the reporting period, however, authorities did not report extending victim services to repatriated Panamanian victims or foreign victims of trafficking, and the Immigration Office indicated that there were no foreign victims of trafficking over the past year.
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The
Panamanian government sustained limited efforts to assist trafficking victims during 2009, though overall victim services remained inadequate, particularly for adult victims. Authorities did not employ systematic procedures for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as
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The government of Panama does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. During the reporting period, authorities increased public awareness about the prostitution of children through seminars in schools and an
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and violence could provide services to child victims of trafficking, although the government did not report assisting any child victims last year. There was no shelter care available exclusively for adult victims of trafficking. The government could house adult victims in hotels on an ad hoc basis
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maintained its law enforcement efforts against trafficking crimes during the reporting period. Article 178 of the
Panamanian penal code, which was updated in 2008, prohibits the internal and transnational movement of persons for the purpose of sexual servitude or forced commercial sexual activity.
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sector to raise awareness of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Child sex tourism is prohibited by law, though there were no reported prosecutions of sex tourists during the reporting period. The government implemented its
National Plan for Prevention and Elimination of Commercial Sexual
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laws, to prosecute trafficking crimes. The above punishments are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for rape. Panamanian law, however, does not specifically prohibit human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor, including domestic servitude. During the reporting
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based in Panama City was dedicated exclusively to prosecuting trafficking crimes. There were no reports of partnerships with foreign governments in joint investigations of trafficking crimes during the reporting period, although
Panamanian authorities met with Colombian officials to exchange
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Exploitation of
Children and Adolescents by publishing a comprehensive guide on health care of children and adolescent victims of commercial sexual exploitation and through supporting a study of sex trafficking in Panama. The government undertook no initiatives to reduce demand for
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information. The government opened no formal trafficking-related corruption investigations during the reporting period. Some judges received training on sex trafficking. There were no reports of training for the members of the diplomatic corps abroad.
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outreach campaign with the tourism sector. Despite such efforts, the government showed little evidence of progress in combating human trafficking. Law enforcement efforts remained weak, the
Panamanian penal code did not prohibit trafficking for
221:. NGOs also reported that some Panamanian children, mostly young girls, were subjected to involuntary domestic servitude. Weak controls along Panama's borders made the nation an easy transit point for irregular migrants, from
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period, the government investigated eight human trafficking cases and seven cases of commercial sexual exploitation of a child, which is comparable with 2009. During the year, however, authorities achieved only one
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The government maintained efforts to prevent human trafficking during the reporting period. To raise awareness about commercial sexual exploitation of children, the government conducted
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Authorities maintained a small law enforcement unit to investigate sex trafficking and related offenses, and
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victims. This shelter, in addition to another NGO shelter working with at-risk youth, and the government's network of shelters for victims of
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In 2010 Panama was a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to
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in 84 schools, reaching 6,900 students, 230 teachers, and 140 parents. In collaboration with the
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In 2023, the
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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women in prostitution or detained irregular migrants. Panamanian law requires the
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400:"Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 Country Narratives - Countries N Through Z"
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United
Nations Treaty Collection website, Chapter XVIII Penal Matters section,
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women and girls were found in forced prostitution in other countries in
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National
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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and government officials anecdotally reported that commercial
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of children was greater in rural areas and in the city of
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Prosecutors may also use other statutes, such as anti-
435:"Trafficking in Persons Report 2017: Tier Placements"
402:. US Department of State. 2010-06-17. Archived from
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Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
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823:Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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920:Crime in Panama by type
463:US Government website,
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180:2000 UN TIP Protocol
91:improve this article
848:U.S. Virgin Islands
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211:sexual exploitation
191:forced prostitution
601:Dominican Republic
259:Prosecution (2010)
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219:Panama City
93:if you can.
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449:2017-12-01
410:2023-02-17
377:Section 12
362:References
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286:conviction
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526:Sovereign
44:talk page
738:Anguilla
686:Suriname
661:Paraguay
636:Honduras
596:Dominica
581:Colombia
551:Barbados
339:seminars
250:"Tier 2"
217:than in
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701:Uruguay
641:Jamaica
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