Is Rabat Acting as Justice Minister or Protecting Pedophiles? Daza Accuses Kast Government of Favoring Child Abusers

Original article: “¿Rabat actúa como ministro de Justicia o como defensor de pedófilos?”: Daza acusa que Gobierno de Kast eligió la tesis más favorable a abusadores de menores

Attorney Mauricio Daza accused the government of José Antonio Kast of adopting the most favorable stance towards child abusers in order to reduce their sentences.

Daza’s criticisms emerged after the Ministry of Justice authorized 56 sentence reductions for individuals convicted of sexual offenses against minors.

According to Interferencia, out of the accepted requests, 27 involved sexual abuse convictions and 29 pertained to rape convictions, with only one request denied.

In response to questions regarding this decision, the Ministry of Justice argued that the cases are connected to sentences handed down prior to the 2022 legal reform and that Supreme Court rulings recognized the right of these individuals to access such benefits.

“In 2022, a legal reform was made that excludes all those convicted of sexual offenses from obtaining such benefits. Since that date, none of these benefits have been granted,” the Minister Fernando Rabat stated.

According to the Secretary of State, “there is a constitutional principle” that prevents the retroactive application of a law to the detriment of a convicted person.

“From this perspective, there’s a widely accepted jurisprudence that has upheld amparo petitions from individuals who requested this benefit for many years and were denied,” he emphasized in statements reported by T13.

He argued that the Ministry of Justice has applied this constitutional principle, as reflected in each resolution, explicitly indicating the severity of these crimes.

In light of the widespread criticism regarding the leniency for child abusers, Minister Rabat stressed that “there is a constitutional norm” and a “problem with the application of the Constitution and the law, which is what a ministry must consider in accordance with the prevailing jurisprudence on the matter.”

“As established by law, it is the Ministry of Justice that, after analyzing the background of these commissions that grant these benefits, issues the respective administrative ruling,” he reiterated according to the cited source.

“Is Rabat Acting as Justice Minister or as a Defender of Pedophiles?”

In response to these arguments, attorney Mauricio Daza questioned whether, under the guise of “the problem of applying the Constitution,” the government of José Antonio Kast is deciding to “reduce sentences for convicted pedophiles.”

He accused them of “choosing the most favorable argument for those criminals” who abused minors, despite being able to do otherwise legally.

Additionally, he targeted Rabat, posing the question on his X account: “Is he acting as Minister of Justice or as a defender of pedophiles?”

“This is grotesque and abhorrent. Minister Rabat, after all the cross-questions and the collapse of each crude lie that was used as a shield, will continue to reduce sentences for pedophiles as if nothing has happened. He must resign. He is a public danger,” he remarked.

Daza’s statements come after opposition lawmakers announced plans to gather signatures to interrogate the Minister of Justice and promote a bill to prevent those who commit abuse against minors from accessing sentence reduction benefits.