Spanish
An international operation against child sexual exploitation allowed authorities to arrest a woman in the Dominican Republic accused of participating in sexual abuse against her own underage daughters.
The arrest occurred as part of Operation Eclipse, a large-scale operation coordinated by the international police organization Interpol, through which 65 minors were rescued and 60 suspects were arrested in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.
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The investigations lasted for 11 months and concluded in January of this year, with the collaboration of authorities from Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. According to information released by the EFE Agency, two people linked to the abuse of two girls aged 10 and 13 were arrested in Dominican territory. Among those arrested is the mother of the minors, who authorities identify as a facilitator and participant in the abuse committed against her daughters. The second person involved is a man who lived with the girls and who is also accused of committing the acts. During the operations, material related to child sexual exploitation was seized, which allowed for the opening of new lines of investigation and progress in the identification of potential additional victims. The Operation Eclipse was focused on dismantling networks dedicated to the production and distribution of child sexual exploitation material and locating minors affected by these crimes. According to data collected by Interpol, most of the victims were between five and 13 years old, and about 80% were girls. Authorities indicated that in many cases the aggressors belonged to the victims' close environment, such as family members, neighbors, or acquaintances, although criminals who used the internet to contact minors or who traveled between different countries to commit these crimes were also detected. The operation also included cooperation between security agencies from different countries. Thanks to the exchange of information between the Dominican Republic and Panama, two suspects wanted by the Panamanian justice system were located in Dominican territory, so the corresponding process for their extradition was initiated. The rescued minors during the operation are currently receiving assistance and protection from the authorities in each of the participating countries, while investigations continue to identify more responsible parties and potential victims.
