The flagship proposal of Colombia’s President Ivan Duque to introduce life-long prison sentences for child molesters was rejected as “populist” by the Justice Ministry’s criminal policy commission on Tuesday.
As expected, the commission of experts’ study concluded that life-long prison sentences violate the constitution, have no proven effect on crime and are economically nonviable.
Duque coined the proposal during his congressional inauguration speech, the Colombian equivalent of the State of the Union, in August. Three months later, the flagship proposal seems dead in the water.
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Justice Ministry’s criminal policy commission
Ineffective and unconstitutional
According to the criminal policy experts, there exists no evidence that life-long prison sentences have a deterrent effect and would thus prevent child abuse.
In fact, once a person has molested one child and faces life imprisonment, there exists no deterrent against the child molester going on a spree, the commission argued.
Furthermore, Colombia’s criminal code already includes lengthy penalties that in effect are life sentences unless a sex offender has an extraordinary longevity, the experts pointed out.
Justice Ministry’s criminal policy commission
Apart from the judicial objections, the introduction of a life-long prison sentence would violate multiple articles in the Colombian constitution, particularly the ban on cruel and unusual punishment, according to the commission.
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The money thing
Apart from being ineffective and unconstitutional, life sentences are also economically unsound, the experts pointed out.
The annual cost of the incarceration of all 1,568 currently convicted sex offenders costs approximately $8.5 million, according to the commission. The average age of a sex offender is 39 and the general life expectancy is 74. This would mean that life imprisonment of these prisoners could cost $295 million.
Additionally, Colombia’s prison system is already overcrowded and would become unaffordable if life sentences would be imposed, the commission argued.
Justice Ministry’s criminal policy commission
In the end, Duque’s proposal is nothing but “punitive populism,” the experts concluded harshly.
Justice Ministry’s criminal policy commission
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Duque may ignore the experts’ opinion and push his flagship proposal to Congress where it will likely be sunk, exactly like every previous proposal to impose life imprisonment sentences on child molesters.
According to the criminal policy commission, Duque would be better off investing his time and the tax payers’ money in prevention as approximately 2,000 Colombian children suffer sexual violence each month.