Brazil’s congress reduces age of criminal responsibility to 16

[umbertino]

Approval comes one day after lawmakers defeated a similar version of the amendment that allow 16-year-olds to be charged with rape and murder

 

 

Associated Press in Rio de Janeiro

 

Thursday 2 July 2015 16.42 BST

 

 

 

The lower house of Brazil’s congress has approved a constitutional amendment that reduces the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 years of age.

 

The amendment was approved early on Thursday morning by a 323-155 vote, but it must be submitted to a second round of voting at the chamber of deputies before being sent to the senate.

 

The approval came one day after lawmakers narrowly defeated a similar version of the amendment that would have allowed 16-year-olds to be charged with rape, murder, drug trafficking, assault and battery followed by death, as well as aggravated robbery.

 

But some congressmen switched their vote and approved a new version of the bill that eliminated drug trafficking and aggravated robbery from the list of crimes 16-year-olds could be held accountable for.

 

 

 

Teens play football on the beach in Brazil.

Photograph: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/brazil-age-of-criminal-responsibility-16