The state's upper chamber approved a bill this Tuesday that seeks to increase security in response to the brutal murder of the young Ukrainian woman
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The North Carolina Senate approved a bill called "Iryna's Law," in honor of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was brutally murdered last August 22 while traveling on a train in the city of Charlotte.
The legislative initiative seeks to reform the state's criminal justice system, including the elimination of cashless bail for individuals accused of violent crimes.
Zarutska was stabbed to death while returning from work at a local pizzeria, traveling on the Blue Lynx line. Her striker, Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old man with a long criminal record, was arrested at a nearby station and faces serious murder charges.
Brown had already been arrested at least 14 times before the crime and, despite a January arrest for a false 911 call, was released on a promise to appear at his next court date, without having to pay bail.
El salvaje asesino de Zarutska había sido arrestado en 14 ocasiones previo al vil acto criminal
The murder caused strong public outrage and reignited the national debate on cashless bail reform and public transportation safety. In response, House Bill 307 proposes significant changes to pretrial release conditions for those accused of violent crimes, eliminating the possibility of release without bail in these cases.
Additionally, the law would include a "sentencing aggravating factor" for crimes committed against passengers on public transportation, which would increase penalties. Another key point of the bill is an amendment seeking to revive the death penalty in North Carolina, a state where executions have been halted since 2006 due to judicial and administrative obstacles.
The Republican-majority Senate approved the bill Monday night. The House of Representatives, also led by Republicans, is expected to begin its discussion soon.
Senate leader Phil Berger stated on social network X that "for nearly two decades, judicial and administrative obstacles have prevented victims from receiving true justice, and it's time for that to end."
El senador republicano Phil Berger destacó la posibilidad que otorga el proyecto para devolver la pena de muerte en el estado
Berger also criticized Democratic senators for leaving the session and refusing to vote after opposing the death penalty amendment. One of them, Democratic Senator Mujtaba Mohammed from Mecklenburg County, strongly criticized the proposal, calling it an attempt to "exploit pain for headlines, clicks, and votes."
Nationally, Zarutska's case has also captured the attention of Congress. Senators Tim Scott (Republican-South Carolina) and Thom Tillis (Republican-North Carolina) recently introduced a bill to establish a federal task force to address violence on public transportation and strengthen the collection and reporting of data on these incidents.
"No American should fear for their life while traveling to school, work, or anywhere else," Senator Scott declared.
Esta victoria republicana en Carolina del Norte ha generado grandes expectativas a nivel federal
Meanwhile, President Donald Trumpexpressed his outrage over the crime through Truth Social, calling Decarlos Brown an "ANIMAL" and demanding the death penalty. "There can't be any other option!" he wrote on September 10.
The Department of Justice indicated that Brown was charged with committing an act that caused death on a public transportation system, which could make him eligible for the death penalty under current law if it were reinstated.
