On Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense denied reports that Nuno Melo had announced the recruitment of young offenders, saying the hypothesis had only been considered in an academic context and adding that the minister was ready to come to parliament.
“The reflections carried out within the Universidade Europa with the participation of young people from the AD highlighted the strengths and potential of the Armed Forces, illustrated by academic examples,” can be read in a statement published by the Ministry of National Defense.
According to the Defense Department memo, the Armed Forces were supposed to be “an asset that is not defined by military scenarios alone” and “in peacetime they are added to a variety of fields, from firefighting to School of Life models.” “In the context of learning.”
“?In particular, from a purely academic point of view, an unexplored path was mentioned: the hypothesis that the Armed Forces, in addition to the opportunities that exist in other entities, can contribute, in the educational context of learning, to the re-socialization of young people and thus create better opportunities for throughout life,” he emphasized.
“At no point were conditions, shape, pattern or timing mentioned,” he further noted.
On the same note, the Ministry of National Defense also assured that Nuno Melo “will express his readiness to provide all clarifications to the Assembly of the Republic.”
Last weekend in Aveiro, the defense minister said military service could be an alternative for young people who have committed petty crimes, instead of being placed in institutions that “in most cases function only as a school for lifelong crime.” The idea was supported by the Minister of Internal Affairs Margarida Blasko.
Chega today proposed urgent parliamentary hearings of the minister and the leader of the CDS-PP, taking into account “the relevance of the topic for Portuguese society and for the integrity of the armed forces.”
The Liberal Initiative also demanded today that the Minister of Defense be heard in Parliament regarding Nuno Melo’s position on the topic, considering that these are “incredible” statements that need to be clarified.
Military associations representing officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers today considered the possibility of compulsory military service as an alternative punishment, proposed by the ministers of defense and internal affairs, to be a “peregrine idea” and “absurd”.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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