Casa Alianza supports attempt to prosecute the professor in Canada under Canadian extraterritorial laws as a result of the weakness and lack of application of Costa Rican laws. In a recent ruling, Costa Rica's Supreme Court declined to make this request. That means an Alberta high school teacher who was accused of fondling one of his Canadian charges during a field trip to the Latin American country last year will not face charges.
Critics say the case exposes the weakness of the law.
Similar extra-territorial bills in the U.S. and other countries do not require the involvement of foreign officials, says Bruce Harris, executive director of Latin American programs for Casa Alianza, a sister agency to Covenant House in Canada. Child molesters can take Canadian kids on school trips to countries where the laws are weak, sexually abuse children and get away with it. According to Alberta Justice Department documents obtained by the National Post, the teacher agreed to the facts of the case. Mr. Doiron said the implementation of the child sex tourism bill is being reviewed. To date, no one has been prosecuted, while other countries with similar extra-territorial sex tourism bills have laid charges.