Age of criminal responsibility
The proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility, discussed recently during the election campaign, was rejected in a manifesto by 134 organizations from across the country.
In recent months, the possibility of changing the law has been debated to allow people aged 16 and older to be held criminally responsible for what are known as “heinous crimes”, such as rape, murder and kidnapping.
However, according to Rafael Custódio, a lawyer at Conectas, changing the law “is not the solution to the problem and it is worth recalling that less than 3% of crimes committed by adolescents are serious, or heinous crimes”.
In the document, the organizations highlight some important points for the debate, emphasizing that lowering the age of criminal responsibility would be a setback for the human rights of children and adolescents.
Click here to read the document in full.
