|
« Three Ex-Presidents Criticize Government For Political Repression | Home | International Jazz Festival Celebrates 20 Years » Law Proposes Stronger Punishments for Sex Crimes Involving MinorsPosted: Nate on Sep 07 | Education & Youth, Law & Justice In the proposed Law Against Human Slavery and Trafficking, the possession, production, sale, or commercialization of pornography that contains images of minors will carry a penalty of up to 22 years of prison time. Article 21 of the law calls for the inclusion the new penalties for child pornography in any media in the federal penal code. In her explanation of the new law, president of the Chamber of Representative´s Human Rights Commission Marianela Paco said, “First of all children are not able to physically defend themselves, but they also cannnot legally defend themselves. They are highly vulnerable citizens.” In the current penal code cases of child pornography only warrant prison sentences of two to three months. The new penalties have not been universally approved with some representatives saying crimes involving child pornography should be limited to a maximum 15-year prison sentence. Pando representative Herberth Salvatierra argued that more emphasis should be placed on preventing these crimes than on imposing a stricter punishment. In another proposed law defending the rights of sex crime victims, the Penal Code Reform Law for the Legal Protection of Children and Adolescents, the sentence for sex with minors, even if the defendant claims it was consensual, would be 20-25 years in prison. These modifications to the penal code will go up for debate in the Chamber of Representatives next week. For more in Spanish see: http://www.laprensa.com.bo/noticias/7-9-2010/noticias/07-09-2010_3629.php |
No comments
Jump to comment form | comments rss | trackback uri