The Bogota Metropolitan Police in Colombia have arrested Margarita
de Jesus Zapata Moreno, a mother of fourteen, and charged her with selling twelve
of her children into prostitution. The police have been investigating the
mother for over a year after one of her daughters reported her. According to
her daughter, once all of her daughters would reach the age of twelve she would
sell their virginity for 300,000 to 400,000 pesos which only equates to around
200 US dollars. She denied all of the charges when she was shown to a crowd in
front of the police station (a common occurrence when there is a high profile
suspect is arrested in Columbia). The police are still trying to find all of
the men to whom her daughters were sold to.
This article not only brings forth to light a heinous crime but
shows gross disregard for a basic human rights. “No one shall be held in
slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all
their forms” and “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment” are both basic rights listed in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights that were violated when this mother sold
her daughters virginity, making them slaves. The article also talks about how
in Colombia it is commonplace to show accused criminals to a crowd after their
arrest. This is very different than how the process for arrests occurs here in
the United States where the motto is “innocent until proven guilty”. It can be
assumed that showing the accused is a form of deterrence to keep others from committing
similar deviance in fear of the public ridicule. Ultimately, this article shows
how this type of crime can affect anyone and that we have a long way to go to
protect people around the world from these human indecencies.
Nicole Egna
11/1/13
3:30 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/25/world/americas/colombia-mom-sells-daughters/index.html?hpt=wo_bn5
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