After several weeks of postponements, this Tuesday a key step was taken in Congress toward the reform of the Juvenile Criminal Regime.
In a joint meeting of the Penal Legislation; Justice; Families, Children, and Youth; and Budget and Finance committees, the bill's report was approved with 77 signatures, proposing to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 14 years. The initiative was promoted by the Government of Javier Milei, and represents one of the pillars of his agenda in terms of security and justice.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
The proposal, which had caused intense debate in recent weeks, finally achieved the majority report thanks to the support of the La Libertad Avanza, PRO, Unión Cívica Radical (UCR), Federal Innovation, Civic Coalition, and a sector of Encuentro Federal blocs.
In contrast, it was rejected by the legislators of Unión por la Patria and the Frente de Izquierda, who expressed their concern about the "social impact" and supported underage offenders.
The project establishes that minors up to 14 years old can only be held accountable when they commit serious crimes, such as homicides, rapes, kidnappings, or armed robberies. The reform seeks to adapt the juvenile criminal regime to international standards and improve the approach to juvenile crime.
Se aprobó el dictamen del proyecto de baja de la edad de imputabilidad a 14 años
One of the most active promoters of the project, Congressman José Luis Espert (LLA), celebrated the approval of the report: “Adult crime, adult penalty. We took a big step and have a majority report to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years,” he stated on his social media, setting the tone with which the ruling party defends the measure.
The report must now go to the floor for its final vote in the Chamber of Deputies. If approved, it would imply a structural change in the way the Argentine State responds criminally to crimes committed by minors.
