Sexual Predators Not Welcome in Guanacaste, Code of Ethics Aims at Prevention
Sexual predators should think twice before visiting the tourist area of Guanacaste as the province gears with a strong public campaign to denounce the practice and assures that sexual predators are not welcome.

A group of 80 companies that include hotels and tour operators have already signed a "Código de Ética" (Code of Ethics) which is to combat the sexual exploitation of minors in the area. The project is being promoted by the child welfare agency, Paniamor.

Milena Grillo, executive director of the Fundación Paniamor, explained that recently the Cámara de Turismo de Guanacaste (Guanacaste Tourism Board) will be heavily promoting the program against the sexual exploitation of minors and continue to get more signatures to its Code of Ethics.

Grillo emphasized the importance of the union in the area, because Guanacaste is one of the most important tourist area in the country, with potential for much growth and at the same time is the province with second largest index of poverty.

The Code of Ethics goes beyond simply a signature, it is a program that aims to train employees of those businesses how to recognize as sexual abuser and what to do in those situations. Prevention and reporting are the objective.

Signature companies will also be placing posters to denounce the practice of sexual exploitation and use its employees as messenger of the message that there will be no tolerance and that they are willing and ready to file a complaint to police.

According to the little studies available, the areas with the greatest indication of sexual exploitation of minors are the Gran Área Metropolitana de San José, Quepos, Jacó, Limón, Puntarenas and border towns with Nicaragua.