«That’s Not Protecting Childhood»: Provoste Confronts Kast Over Reduced Sentences for Abusers and Cuts to Child Services

Original article: «Eso no es proteger la infancia»: Provoste encara a Kast por rebajas de penas a abusadores y recortes a la niñez

«That’s Not Protecting Childhood», stated Senator Yasna Provoste as she confronted President José Antonio Kast regarding the reduction of sentences for over 50 convicted sexual abusers of children as well as the cutbacks to funding for programs aimed at minors.

«Between March and September of this year, the government signed more than 56 decrees to lower the sentences of individuals who violated or sexually abused children (…) One in every three days of this government was dedicated to granting benefits to rapists,» highlighted the parliamentarian.

During the discussion regarding the 2027 Budget Law, she addressed the areas impacted by the fiscal adjustments proposed by the right-wing administration and criticized that the project reduces funding for the adoption program by 59%.

«It cuts resources for local child welfare offices (…) and leaves over 100,000 children without access to computers«, denounced the senator, according to Diario U. de Chile.

«Sentences are reduced for those who abuse children while assistance for children is cut. That’s not protecting childhood«, she remarked, referring to the priorities of Kast’s government.

Proposals to Prevent Sentence Reductions for Child Abusers

Center-left legislators announced they will begin the processing of their own projects to modify sentence reduction systems in response to the role played by the current administration regarding judicial rulings.

«Previous governments with character opposed this criterion which, unfortunately, the Kast government has embraced (…) resulting in an administrative decision that released most of these 56 beneficiaries«, indicated Senator and President of the Constitution Commission, Vlado Mirosevic.

Referring specifically to the project that will be discussed in this commission, he noted that it aims to close any loophole in the interpretation of the law concerning sentence reductions.

«No government will be able to grant these types of benefits because the convicted individual will not be in a position to request these benefits (…) we will be more explicit in the law to ensure that no government can apply this», he expressed, according to the cited media.