Parliament approved two bills this Thursday, BE and PAN, which extend the statute of limitations for sexual abuse of minors until the victim is 30 years old, and rejected Chega’s initiatives to increase penalties.
The parties propose to amend the Criminal Code so that prosecution does not stop until the victim reaches the age of 30, when “crimes against the freedom and sexual self-determination of minors are at stake, as well as the crime of female genital mutilation, when the victim is a minor.” Currently, the law provides that crimes of this nature are not assigned until the victims reach the age of 23.
Both projects were approved unanimously.
These initiatives are in line with what the Catholic Church’s Independent Commission on Child Sexual Abuse has proposed, which would increase the statute of limitations for crimes of violence until the victim is 30 years old.
The Liberal Initiative bill passed without a vote to the Constitutional Affairs Commission. The liberals intend to extend this period until the 40th anniversary of the victim.
On the other hand, it is enough to see the rejection of the five initiatives that led to the debate in Parliament this afternoon.
Andre Ventura’s party proposed setting a 15-year statute of limitations and not stopping the criminal process until the victim turns 30.
PS and PCP voted against this initiative, PSD, PAN and Livre abstained, while the supporter, IL and BE, voted in favor.
Chega also wanted a general increase in the criminalization of child sexual abuse, a proposal voted against by PSD, PS, PCP and BE, abstained by PAN and Livre, but voted positively by IL.
The party also proposed an end to deferrals for crimes of sexual assault, pimping or pornography of minors, a project that was defeated by votes against PS, PSD, IL, PCP, BE and Livre and a positive vote by Chega. and PAN.
In today’s vote, two draft resolutions, also submitted by Chega, were rejected, which aimed to implement a national plan to combat pedophilia, conduct a national study of sexual abuse of minors “in various special and social contexts” and create a reporting channel, in addition to a national victimization investigation.
Before the vote, parliament, on Chega’s proposal, discussed “the fight against sexual abuse of minors in Portugal”.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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