UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 63) It cannot be said that children are completely safe from discrimination, ill-treatment, violence, abuse and sexual exploitation in Sao Tome and Principe.
Para 76) The National Child Protection Policy establishes guidelines for preventing, handling and punishing all forms of violence against and abuse and exploitation of children and sets out the division of responsibilities among the relevant public authorities in the fields of justice, health, social affairs, education, public safety and crime prevention.

UN Compilation:
Para 13) UNICEF noted … that worrying phenomena continued to be observed in the area of child protection, including … sexual violence …

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 15) … In Just Atonement Inc’s view, laws explicitly prohibiting child prostitution and sexual exploitation should also be promulgated.
Para 18) Just Atonement Inc was concerned at cases of child pornography, sexual exploitation, and child prostitution in Sao Tome and Principle, and regretted that no law existed criminalizing sexual exploitation or prostitution. In also regretted that Sao Tome and Principe had not ratified the OP-CRC-SC.

National Report:
Para 133) It should be highlighted that these legal measures have been consolidated in the new Criminal Code, which has numerous articles aimed at protecting the rights of children, as set out in international standards, in particular the following: ...
(m) Article 175 on sexual abuse of children;
(n) Article 176 on sexual abuse of adolescents;
(o) Article 177 on sexual acts with adolescents;
(p) Article 178 on homosexual acts with adolescents;
(q) Article 179 on prostitution of minors;
(r) Article 180 on child pornography;

Para 137) The exploitation, sexual violence and prostitution of children are social phenomena which are becoming increasingly important globally and Sao Tome is not exempt. Internal measures have thus been implemented to prevent and combat the development of these phenomena. The measures involve numerous public and private organizations, such as INPG, the Support Centre for Domestic Violence, education centres, social communication and the Association of Women Jurists, in national awareness-raising campaigns to prevent and combat exploitation, sexual violence and child prostitution.

UN Compilation:
Para 13) The CRC welcomed the revision by Sao Tome and Principe of its Penal Code in 2012 to explicitly include provisions on sexual abuse, exploitation of minors and child trafficking ...