Crime, Law & Justice, Provinces

Authorities Rescue 293 Women From Sexual Exploitation In Madre de Dios

Peruvian authorities led an operation over the weekend that resulted in the rescue of 293 women, many of them young girls, who were forced into prostitution in the country’s informal gold mining region, in south-eastern Madre de Dios.

Almost 450 police officers and 16 prosecutors took part in an assault on some 60 brothels in the jungle region, daily La Republica reported.

The operation began Friday and was completed on Sunday evening, the report said. Most of the brothels were located in Madre de Dios’ capital, Puerto Maldonado, and along the highway that connects the city to Cusco, a government official said.

Deputy minister for Interior Order, Luis Alberto Otarola, said that some of the girls rescued were between 12 and 13 years old. He said everyone rescued had been forced into the activity.

Otarola said that authorities arrested four main individuals responsible for exploiting the women.

Madre de Dios has become known for out-of-control informal mining that has led to not only environmental destruction and tax evasion, but also sexual slavery.

NGO Huarayo estimates that between 1,200 adults and 400 minors are forced into prostitution in Madre de Dios.

One Comment

  1. Sasha McInnes

    Very poorly written article. Girls of 12 and 13 years old are NOT women!!! The are CHILDREN and an article about child sexual slavery in mining communities should be an article on its own.

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