The government allowed this Wednesday to review an IC proposal to revise the law on crimes of sexual abuse of minors, but objected that the change should focus on the start of the statute of limitations.
“Meeting with the Commission” [Independente para o Estudo dos Abusos Sexuais de Crianças na Igreja Católica] eager to learn more and hear the results live, and of course the offer will be considered. This is what we are going to do,” Justice Minister Catarina Sarmento e Castro said in statements on the sidelines of the launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region report on prison health.
Catarina Sarmento e Castro reiterated that the direction currently being analyzed for the government’s future proposal includes changing the start of the statute of limitations for the crime of sexual abuse of minors, emphasizing that this change does not occur after the submission of a report on sexual harassment committed in Portuguese Catholic Church since 1950.
“We are working on an amendment that concerns not just the statute of limitations, but the moment when the statute of limitations begins to count. This amendment does not arise as a result of these specific circumstances, it was an amendment that was already being worked on and which will be submitted to Parliament in the near future,” he said.
And he continued: “This is not a change in the statute of limitations, because it is associated with penalties and is established for different crimes at the same time, this is a change in the number and this is exactly what is being assessed. it is an idea, but it needs to be discussed in the Council of Ministers and then submitted to the Assembly of the Republic.”
The minister told Luce on Tuesday that the government is “already considering” legislative changes on the issue, thus ensuring that “of course” the proposal will come “even before the middle of this year.”
The meeting with members of the Independent Commission was also announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister António Costa, who added that in addition to the holder of the portfolio of justice, there would also be a minister of labour, solidarity and social security. is present as he realized that “a number of lessons need to be learned”.
“The Minister of Justice, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security will also meet with the Commission, because I think there are a number of lessons to be learned for other areas, because of course this reality did not happen only in this particular context. “, declared.
The Catholic Church’s Independent Commission on Child Sexual Abuse on Monday proposed that victims reach the age of 30, which is the deadline for filing a complaint about child abuse.
“There is one point to which we confine ourselves, which concerns Article n. Suspension of the statute of limitations, even if the statute of limitations has expired and the victim is under 23 years of age. This period is suspended,” the former minister said. Judge Alvaro Laborinho Lucio.
According to Laborinho Lúcio, given the age of the victims, the commission concluded that the age should be increased. “Facing difficulties [das vítimas] in verbalization we came to the conclusion that this age should be increased. Therefore, one of our steps is to increase this age to 30 years. (…) We only propose that the Assembly of the Republic consider it and that it does so if it so desires,” he stressed.
The report of the Independent Commission on Sexual Violence in the Church obtained 512 corroborated testimonies, extrapolating the existence of at least 4,815 victims, with 25 cases sent to the Department of Public Administration.
JGO (JML/FC/CCM/SPC) // ZO
Lusa/The End
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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