ABSTRACT

The new Law to Suppress Sexual Transactions Involving Children and Juveniles seems to have induced substantial changes not only in black letters, but also in action. Many victims were legally treated as ‘delinquents’, because they appeared to the law enforcers to deserve correction instead of protection. It is convenient to assume that if there is a law to provide for specific punishment for every legally defined crimes of child prostitution, no perpetrator can escape from legal sanctions. The huge economic gains generated from the operation of child prostitution has formulated and strengthened an exploitation chain around the disadvantaged family. The Law to Suppress Sexual Transactions Involving Children and Juveniles is a specific law as far as the matter of child prostitution is concerned. Therefore, in a child prostitution case, all enforcers should apply applicable provisions of the Law. Problems arise in practice as to whether ‘sexual transactions involving children and juveniles’ will cover all sorts of child prostitution cases.