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General indignation over the conviction of a minor prostitution network in Murcia
- September 12, 2024
The conviction of a child prostitution network in Murcia
In the trial of a criminal network dedicated to the sexual exploitation of minors, the Prosecutor's Office has managed to convict 13 individuals from a plot that had been operating since 2014, but the sentence is derisory and has created indignation, not only among the victims and their families, but also in the general feeling, which sees how a criminal network of these characteristics can escape exemplary sentences due to the slowness of justice and judges who do not properly apply the law. This operation has shown the extreme level of vulnerability of adolescents who, attracted by false promises of quick money, fell into a spiral of forced prostitution.
Methods of recruiting victims
The recruiters of this network used various methods to locate the minors. Strategies ranged from searching in youth clubs to job advertisements or even schools .
Once contacted, the teenagers were subjected to constant pressure. They were told that they could obtain large sums of money by “allowing themselves to be accompanied and touched” by older men, most of whom were businessmen from Murcia who requested these services.
The court agreement reached by the convicted men has generated social rejection and indignation . While the prosecutor had requested sentences of up to seven years in prison, the final sentences were considerably lower. The recruiters, who were primarily responsible for the exploitation, received sentences of two years for the crime of prostitution of minors, which calls into question the effectiveness of the judicial system in protecting victims.
On the other hand, the taxi drivers who collaborated with the network by assuming transport roles received equally reduced sentences and the most surreal thing about the sentence is that the businessmen who bought the services of these minors have been acquitted .
The voice of the victims was never heard
Throughout the process, the silence of the minors is notable. The absence of individual accusations by the victims has been alarming, which leads to questions about the way in which these cases were addressed. The lack of support and fear of reprisals from their captors may explain this situation.
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