By Wendy Anders

Yesterday, the Costa Rican Spanish-language digital news media, AM Prensa, reported that a boy of 14 has allegedly been having sexual relations with his 11-year-old sister who is now pregnant.

Although the alleged relations occurred several months ago, it wasn’t until three weeks ago that the girl sought care at the Liberia Hospital, who then reported the case to local child protection officials. Both children live in Liberia, the northern Guanacaste province capital.

Fanny Cordero, spokeswoman for the National Child Protection Agency (PANI), said her staff reacted immediately upon receiving the report.

“The case has been reported to the courts, specifically the youth court. We are evaluating the family’s petition for release of the girl, who has been interned in the hospital. The girl’s mother currently has custody of her, whereas the alleged perpetrator, because he is a minor, was sent to live with family members while the case is under investigation,” stated Cordero to AM Prensa.

Apparently the boy’s family does not plan to press charges since they claim the sexual activity was undertaken with the mutual consent of the boy and the girl. However PANI officials said it would be treated as a rape case since it involves sex with a child under 15.

The case is under investigation by the public prosecutor’s youth bureau in San Jose, since some of the sexual abuse apparently occurred in the country’s capital.

The Costa Rican National Women’s Institute (INAMU) reported 15,217 births to girls aged 11 to 19 in Costa Rica in 2008 — 20 percent of all births that year.