MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay passes tougher law on child abuse

“Violence against our children will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Peña underlined

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña signed into law Thursday a new bill providing for harsher jail penalties for sexual abusers of children and adolescents to protect the integrity of victims, it was explained.

 “Today we are taking a very important step in the protection of our children,” said Peña. “We have enacted a transcendental legislative reform that makes Paraguay the country in the region with the most severe penalties for abusers,” he added. “This advance not only toughens the penalties but also redefines our Penal Code, sending a clear message: in Paraguay, violence against our children will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the head of State went on.

As per the new legislation, sexual abuse through sexual intercourse with children under 10 years of age will entail a minimum penalty of 15 to 20 years' imprisonment, which may be extended to 30 years depending on the seriousness of each case. In addition, the measure seeks to expand legal protection for victims of child sexual abuse by describing new forms of violence.

“These modifications are very deep and it is not a mere elevation of penalties, there were many legal loopholes and issues that were in an imprecise way and now the child is put in the first place and we seek to avoid impunity. Now we put it at the forefront of the law”, expressed Deputy Childhood Minister Eduardo Escobar pointed out in a radio interview.

“It is a very hopeful day because the State gave a clear and strong signal that sexual abuse and punishable acts against children are intolerable for Paraguayan society and for the State. This increase in punishment is more than that” because of the changes introduced to Paraguay's Penal Code, he also noted.

In addition, the definition of coitus was modified, not limiting it only to penis-vagina penetration, and includes all types of carnal access by anal, oral, or with the introduction of bodily members or objects by some of the first two ways. “We close that possibility so that the defense of sexual aggressors has no tool to be able to slip away from justice,” Escobar mentioned.

The bill also contemplates aggravating circumstances, such as biological kinship or being the child's caregiver or guardian. It is also an aggravating circumstance to have taken advantage of a relationship of superiority, affinity with the family, or state of vulnerability of the minors is the case for example a school bus driver. The new regulation includes sexual abuse by technological means, known as “grooming,” which up to now carried low penalties around 3 years in jail. “All possible hypotheses” were contemplated, Escobar insisted.