UN criticizes proposal to lower age of legal responsibility in Brazil
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Protesters in a demonstration in Rio against the proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility
The United Nations released a statement Monday (May 11) expressing their disapproval of a proposal to lower the age of legal responsibility in Brazil from 18 to 16 years old discussed by the National Congress as part of a constitutional amendment bill. According to the UN statement, this change could exacerbate the problem of violence in the country, “with serious consequences for the present and the future.”
“Incarcerating 16- and 17-year-olds in overcrowded prisons will expose them to the direct influence of organized crime factions,” the statement read. The UN explained that the proportion of teenagers who threaten the lives of others is small – only 0.013% of a total 21 million young Brazilians.
“You cannot effectively deal with juvenile violence unless you look into the underlying causes and take an integrated approach to the problem of violence,” the organization. For the UN, there is plenty of evidence that serious crimes originate from a background of violence and neglect.
“These situations are often made worse by lacking family support and poor access to the benefits of public policies on education, work and employment, health, housing, social protection, leisure, culture, active citizenship, and access to justice that should potentially be available to every individual at every stage of their life,” the statement read.
The proposal to lower the legal age of criminal responsibility is still pending approval by a special commission that will judge the merits of the case. This commission will have up to 40 sessions to discuss the issue and produce a report, which will be voted on by the commission members. Then, the proposal will be put to vote in a plenary session at the Chamber of Deputies. If approved by the deputies, the proposal will be submitted to the Senate for approval.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: UN criticizes proposal to lower age of legal responsibility in Brazil
