Clamp down on child prostitution

2005-08-01 09:53

Lome - The government of Togo vowed on Sunday to crack down on the "degrading" practice of child prostitution, which has spread rapidly across the West African country in recent years.

The government statement, broadcast on national radio, came in response to a dramatic growth in the phenomenon in Togo's main cities, particularly in the capital.

In Dekon, one of Lome's poor neighbourhoods, the Devissime or young girls' market as it is known in the local language Mina, is one of the city's busiest prostitution zones.

"In the streets and certain places of our towns and villages, especially after nightfall, we see more and more children, mostly young girls, involved in all kinds of trafficking and prostitution," the radio statement said.

The government said the authorities would begin checking and questioning people in areas renowned for underage prostitution, but would also consult social workers and international organisations to find "the ways and means to fight this scourge effectively".

- AFP