?Enough is enough!? cries out Rita Venkatasawmy, the director of the Centre for education and development of children of Mauritius (CEDEM). And too right she is? Sold for Rs 200 for the first time and Rs 500 for the second time to two foreigners allegedly by her neighbour, a young girl has been forced into prostitution at the age of thirteen. This case, notwithstanding the alleged sexual abuse on a four-year old boy - has brought back the issue of child prostitution into the limelight.

Dealing on a daily basis with such situations, Rita Venkatasawmy reacts. According to her, no one can stop someone from flirting and falling in love or even getting sexual impulses. But what is more important is to educate youngsters.

?As long as the minister of Education does not include sexual education as a compulsory component in the curriculum, nothing will go right. Our youngsters are not educated to confront life. Mauritius is not a poor country. But the young people of Mauritius have a lack of education.? Youngsters must learn how to divert those impulses. For instance most of the children in the CEDEM shelter have been sexually abused and some have been prostitutes. The shelter organises activities, sports, massage therapy and occupational therapy. ?Their bodies are so used to sexual activities that we need to always distract their attention,? comments Rita Venkatasawmy.

«For expensive gifts ans stays in hotels»

Indeed, children abused sexually are more prone to be caught up in the net of child prostitution as they have acquired a ?sexualised behaviour?. The child that is sexually stimulated too early cannot cope with his/her sexuality. He/she will be the one who can even provoke a paedophile to abuse him again. These children that are unable to handle their sexuality are the most liable to get sucked into child prostitution. ?Our children are not the actors in this situation but victims,? adds Rita Venkatasawmy.

No matter how hard it is for people to believe, more and more youngsters are getting involved into prostitution. For instance, poverty and unemployment are considered as major factors, which result in children?s commercial sexual exploitation. However, there are also others who are not in prostitution for survival but for lure of money, desire of sexual freedom, consumerism and a desire for a certain lifestyle. Many young girls engaged in prostitution say that what they do is not prostitution. But in technical words, ?indulging in sexual activities even not for cash but for small and expensive gifts or stays in hotels? is prostitution. ?I myself, have gone several times to hotels to remove girls engaged into prostitution; young girls of middle class or even higher middle class families are involved as well,? testifies Rita Venkatasawmy.

The Ombudsperson for Children, Shireen Aumeeruddy Cziffra, is just as indignant. Though she and her department are not directly involved in such cases, they can channel victims to the right person. She also has the right to make proposals to the minister regarding anything concerning children. ?It is high time to ratify the optional protocol on the Child Rights Convention. I have urged the government to ratify the convention as it is the only way for severe actions to be taken.?

Signed on 11th November 2001, this optional protocol has to date not been ratified. If a protocol is not ratified, it does not have any legal meaning for a country. The ministry of Women?s rights, Child development and Family welfare, however, explains that it does not depend entirely on their ministry but on other ministries as well. And they have been working on it for the last 7 years. A report published in 2002 by this ministry shows estimates that 2,600 children are involved in the whirlpool of prostitution.

An outrageous amount, some would say. Moreover, the report specifies that these figures hide a certain amount of double counts. Is this figure only the tip of the iceberg? Just for the period of January to March 2008, statistics show that 60 cases of child abuse have been reported to the ministry of Women?s right, Child development and Family welfare. Out of these, 5 cases were for child trafficking and one for child prostitution. "It is indeed the tip of the iceberg," asserts Wendy Rose, a ministry coordinator. ?The study and the statistics are based on the cases that were reported. I firmly believe that there are many others, which have not been reported.?

Mauritius, a source of female trafficking

Another factor that drags children into prostitution, according to Shireen Aumeeruddy Cziffra, is Teen Dating Violence. Seducing young girls of 13-16 years old, some pimps or drug addicts trap them into the fiendish world of prostitution. Either by emotional blackmail or forcefully, these girls find themselves having sexual intercourse with their lover?s friends and then strangers. So much that the US Department of States has said in its annual report that Mauritius is a source of female trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. It has also pointed out the country?s weaknesses. In particular, the fact that the government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of female trafficking. Furthermore, the government does not have specific laws to prohibit it.

Many such cases have been reported to the ministry Indeed, its report says that prostitution involves a ratio of four children to six adults in Mauritius. High and alarming, this situation is becoming an emergency in Mauritius. NGOs have tried by all means to sensitise the public and children themselves but it?s high time that the authorities take the bull by the horns to prevent more children from being exploited by selfish and greedy adults?

A.M.