Salvadoran Leader Enacts Controversial Reforms on Juvenile Justice
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele signs reforms allowing life sentences for children as young as 12 for serious crimes like homicide, rape, and gang membership.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has signed a series of controversial reforms that will allow for life sentences for individuals as young as 12 years old convicted of serious crimes such as homicide, femicide, rape, and gang membership. The new measures, which have drawn fierce criticism from human rights groups, are part of Bukele's broader crackdown on crime and gang activity in the Central American nation.
Under the reforms, which Bukele signed into law on Friday, those found guilty of the designated offenses will face life imprisonment regardless of their age at the time of the crime. Previously, the minimum age for such sentences was 18. The changes have sparked outrage among child advocates and legal experts who argue that they violate international standards on juvenile justice and children's rights.
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Source: NPR
