Brazil’s Lula backs lowering criminal responsibility age to 16 for ‘heinous’ crimes
A reversal on criminal responsibility
Lula announced support for lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 for “heinous” crimes. When a reporter asked whether he meant 16, he answered, “yes.” The position marks a break with Lula and his party’s longstanding opposition to lowering the age. The article describes the shift as widely viewed as a desperate electoral gambit.
Bolsonaro family favors 14
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president, and his senator son have long backed a lower age of criminal responsibility. Their preferred threshold is 14, rather than the age of 16 Lula now supports.
Critics warn of prison risks
Human rights organisations and security experts have criticised proposals to lower the age. They argue such measures do little to tackle violence and may lead to greater recruitment into organised crime within Brazil’s overcrowded prisons.
Key points
- Lula supports lowering the age from 18 to 16 for “heinous” crimes.
- The move reverses a longstanding position held by Lula and his party.
- Jair Bolsonaro and his senator son favor lowering the age to 14.
- Critics say the change may not reduce violence and could boost prison recruitment by organised crime.