The arrest of a 15-year-old teenager, accused of shooting and killing beach player Bruno Bussanich in Rosario, generated repercussions in the political sphere and once again brought into focus
the age of imputability
in Argentina.
Almost 20 days after the crime of the 25-year-old employee, in the context of a
wave of drug violence
that terrorized the city of Rosario, agents of the Investigative Police (PDI) of Santa Fe arrested the teenager in a raid, whom He was identified by the service station's security cameras.
After the raid, the president, Javier Milei, retweeted a message from X from Minister Patricia Bullrich announcing the arrest.
"He who does it, he pays for it
," Milei wrote.
The spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, had expressed himself along the same lines:
"Adult crime, adult punishment
. "
The Minister of Security's tweet had also highlighted that the Government is promoting a lowering of the age of imputability. "The
Imputability Law
is already entering the National Congress
, so that crimes like these never go unpunished again," said Bullrich.
HE WHO DOES IT, PAYS FOR IT... https://t.co/JFo7OK2sDF
— Javier Milei (@JMilei) March 29, 2024
In mid-January, the Minister of Justice, Mariano Cúneo Libarona, had announced that this year he will present a project to lower the age of imputability from 16 to 14 years, without distinction according to the crime committed.
Currently, minors
are not punishable if they have not turned 16 years of age
. On the other hand, minors who are 16 years old and up to 18 years old are punishable, but they cannot be tried in processes such as those followed by defendants who are of legal age.
If the project is approved,
the reduction in the age of imputability will apply in general
, and not only to certain crimes.
Imputability law: what Cúneo Libarona said
"There are two systems in the world. You have the Swiss or English criteria, which divides according to crimes and makes gradations according to age. It starts up to the age of 10. But in principle, from everything I have read, I prefer something without so many twists and turns," Cúneo Libarona had anticipated.
"The boy, whether it is theft, robbery, abuse or anything else, already shows a personality that deserves
attention and punishment
. So, dividing according to crimes, and leaving some without punishment or education, makes no sense. That boy deserves attention, not "It doesn't matter what the crime is. That boy deserves care, attention, re-education, work and training," he argued.
And he emphasized: "Regardless of the particular crime committed, the boy already shows deviant behavior, socially disvaluable behavior. From 14, for example, which is the age I like and is the one supported by almost the 30 projects that I have on my desk that have been presented and have not been received legislatively.
Almost all of them take 14 years as the age of imputability
."
Bruno Bussanich, the beachgoer who was murdered in Rosario.
In radio statements, the minister assured that emphasis must be placed on
the recovery of minors for society
: "What I want to emphasize on minors is re-education, resocialization, obligation to study, obligation to work. Because these children have the possibility, which other children did not have, of reintegrating properly into society".
"I do not believe in sanctions, in those who say 'We are going to punish the 14-year-old because he has a deviant personality.' I believe that we have to give him tools so that he can reintegrate into society," he explained.