US EditionEl Salvador's Bukele Signs Reforms Allowing Life Prison Sentences for People as Young as 12
The law removes youth protections and adds periodic sentence reviews, as UNICEF warns it could harm child development and fail to reduce crime.
- On Tuesday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele released a new law authorizing life sentences for minors as young as 12 convicted of severe crimes including homicide, terrorism, and rape, effective April 26.
- Driven by a state of emergency active since March 2022, Bukele's government has detained around 91,650 people, with officials claiming the previous legal framework granted juvenile criminals excessive leniency.
- Voicing "deep concern," the United Nations Children's Fund warned that life imprisonment violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child, arguing measures prioritize punishment over rehabilitation.
- Mass trials process up to 900 detainees at once, often without formal charges, while humanitarian organizations estimate at least 500 people have died in state custody.
- President Donald Trump's ally, Bukele, has consolidated power by eliminating presidential term limits through his Nuevas Ideas party, prompting critics to warn these policies undermine El Salvador's democracy.
29 Articles
29 Articles
El Salvador’s Bukele signs reforms allowing life sentences for offenders as young as 12
by Elena Vance - El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele signs reforms allowing life sentences for offenders as young as 12San Salvador — President Nayib Bukele signed legal reforms that permit life imprisonment to be imposed on people, including children from age 12, convicted as perpetrators ...
El Salvador's President Najib Bukele has passed legal reforms that allow life sentences for minors aged 12 and older convicted of serious crimes such as murder, terrorism or rape. The decision was published in the country's official gazette, Reuters reports.
Associated Press News
El Salvador's Bukele signs reforms allowing life prison sentences for people as young as 12
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has signed into law constitutional reforms to permit life prison sentences for people as young as 12.
Bukele signs reforms allowing life prison sentences for people as young as 12
The reforms signed by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele would apply to people convicted of committing or being an accomplice to crimes including homicide, femicide, rape and gang membership. (Image credit: Salvador Melendez)
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