Buenos Aires, May 4 (EFE) .- The Argentine Church rejected a bill promoted by the government of Javier Milei that seeks to lower the age of imputability in the youth criminal regime, from 16 to 14, years, which will begin to be treated this week in the National Parliament.
“We do not seem to lower the age is adequate. Putting a boy in a situation does not solve the root problem,” said the bishop and president of the Social Pastoral Commission, Dante Braida, in an interview with the Infobae media.
Bradia said that “the reality of many teenagers who have not had perhaps the opportunities for adequate training and that, suddenly, they fall into situations of committing some crime, it must be addressed in a broad, multisectoral way, to, above all, go to the causes of why such a small person in age could reach these instances of such serious crimes.”
“We do not believe that the solution is criminal, that is, to be able to penalize adolescents in this case, but rather to offer instances of recovery and also prevention. Today there are many areas that one working can generate educational opportunities, especially and accompanying families,” said the bishop.
The statements were given in the prelude to initiate the debate in the Argentine Parliament of a project presented by the Executive that raises the decrease in imputation from 16 to age 14 years. A plenary of commissions in the Chamber of Deputies is summoned for this Tuesday to issue a favorable opinion would allow the initiative to arrive soon at the site.
Bradia also warned about the “structural deficiencies” of the system and pointed out the lack of adequate places for the arrest of minors.
“The youth crime treatment system has to be analyzed and have to change many things, because what is currently seems obsolete,” he said and urged a deep debate to be carried out with all the sectors involved.
The religious pointed out that the problem requires time and an openness to a broader approach and sent a message to the government: “We must give time for all social sectors to give their opinion and also provide diverse proposals to really attack the problem, going to the causes. We need many more voices to express themselves, because that will also illuminate us where we have to go.”
