Leandro Santoro voted against the National Genetic Data Registry of rapists.

In August of last year, the radical Kirchnerist candidate for Buenos Aires legislator, Leandro Santoro, voted against the project that expands the National Genetic Data Registry of rapists.

The initiative, promoted by the Government of Javier Milei, was approved on August 14, 2024, in the Chamber of Deputies with 146 affirmative votes, 87 negative votes, and 7 abstentions. Among the negative votes was Santoro's, who aligned with his political space to reject a measure that seeks to strengthen the State's tools in the fight against sexual crimes.

Santoro's and the Kirchnerist bloc's refusal caused strong criticism from various sectors, as that decision reflects an ideological stance far from the social demand for more security and justice for victims of crimes against sexual integrity.

The position adopted by Unión por la Patria contrasts with the demands of the citizenry, which in surveys and social networks expressed broad support for the proposal of Javier Milei's Government.

The project rejected by Leandro Santoro

The approved project modifies Law 26.879, which created the National Genetic Data Registry linked to crimes against sexual integrity. In its original version, the registry was only used once there was a final conviction.

The new regulation significantly expands its scope: now the genetic material of all those convicted of sexual crimes can be included in the database, and the collection, conservation, and cross-referencing of genetic data are facilitated to assist in solving cases without identifying the perpetrator.

Additionally, it is expected that the samples can be used more efficiently by prosecutors and judges in the investigation of sexual crimes, by cross-referencing with evidence obtained in different cases. The objective of the reform is to achieve a broader and more operational database, allowing for the rapid identification of repeat offenders and providing key evidence in judicial processes.

Milei's Government seeks to make the advancement of the registry an essential tool to combat one of the most heinous and difficult-to-prove crimes, such as rape. The measure has the support of victim associations and criminology experts.

Santoro's vote against did not go unnoticed amid the electoral campaign in Buenos Aires City. Various leaders of La Libertad Avanza have already begun to use it as an example of the contrast between the libertarian Government's security agenda and the Kirchnerist stance, which, in this case, preferred to oppose even a policy that strengthens the criminal prosecution of rapists.