The project aiming to prohibit improper relationships has not progressed after nearly 2 years of discussion. Emilia Molina, legislator from the party Acción ciudadana (PAC), explained that legislators haven’t reached an agreement on issues such as punishments and ban age.
As the bill stands, it amends the Penal Code and imprisons adults who have sexual intercourse with a minor in several scenarios.
We have said that we are willing to reduce the sentences. If a sentence is from 2 to 4 years in prison, we can lower it to 1 to 3 years so there is a conditional execution and the person doesn’t go to jail, but we’re not willing to reduce the 10-year sentence,
said Molina.
Otto Guevara, legislator form the party Movimiento Libertario, is against the measure since he doesn’t agree to punish a 5-year-difference relationship.
I think this ignores the way relationships among young people occur nowadays and exposes older people to face legal sentences, complicated criminal procedures and even any kind of passionate revenge,
said Guevara .
Molina states that if the bill were already a law, cases like the one of the young girl who waited five years on a trial for rape and that ended up in a punishment for “consensual sex” would not occur.
What happened was an abuse, both physical and psychological abuse because, as stated by the Hospital Nacional de Niños, girls and adolescents, due to their brain’s immaturity, are unable to make reasonable decisions as adult women do. Young ladies are victims of older men’s experience or malice,
said Molina.