Congress Begins Debating the Reduction of the Age of Criminal Responsibility Next Week.

Modifications in criminal legislation are one of the pillars that President Javier Milei presented to Congress last Saturday, March 1, during the opening of the ordinary legislative session period.

In a context of growing insecurity in the Province of Buenos Aires, the president's message accelerated the discussion of the issue in Congress, where 12 different projects are currently being evaluated.

In this framework, Representative Laura Rodríguez Machado (PRO), who heads the Criminal Legislation Commission, leads the parliamentary plenaries responsible for debating proposals related to security and justice.

Thanks to this legislative progress, key laws such as Recidivism, Reiteration, Anti-Mafia, and Trial in Absentia were enacted, all promoted and mentioned by the president in his speech before Parliament.

Rodríguez Machado confirmed to the media outlet TN that next week she will convene a new plenary session to resume the discussion on the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility, within the framework of a new Juvenile Criminal Regime.

"Recidivism, reiteration, and anti-mafia laws end the revolving door in the judicial system and ensure that criminals do not go unpunished. It is essential to lower the age of criminal responsibility so that those who commit serious crimes, regardless of their age, face the consequences of their actions," she stated.

This call will mark the reactivation of the debate on the initiative, which has already had seven sessions and the participation of 26 different speakers. It is an important issue for the entire society, although from Kirchnerism there has always been a stance of rejection of reducing the age of criminal responsibility.

The president's request

President Javier Milei requested Congress to urgently address his project to reduce the age of criminal responsibility and harden the penalties established in the Penal Code.

"We need those who commit crimes as adults to pay as adults," he stated, referring to the case of Kim Gómez, the 7-year-old girl murdered during a robbery in La Plata, whose main suspect is 14 years old and is not criminally responsible.

The president reiterated that the reform of the Penal Code is "the most important in the last hundred years" and that its application must be immediate. He also warned that the problem goes beyond common crimes: "Drug trafficking and terrorism are a clear and present danger to Argentinians."