Elvia Barrios says possible death penalty for child rapists is a ‘smokescreen’

Elvia BarriosThe Chief Justice of the Judiciary described as a “smoke screen” what was expressed by the President of the Republic, Dina Baluarte, who asked this Tuesday to start a debate on the use of the death penalty for child rapists.

“There is a great misfortune that affects us and makes us sensitive, and the first thing that is done is to apply the death penalty, but what is specifically done is nothing more than a distraction,” the judge said during an interview on the program Fire test with RPP.

At the same time, he added that they have been talking about the same thing for several years, but until now “absolutely nothing is being done.”

In this sense, he stated without hesitation that “for me it is a smoke screen”, which aims to cover up “all the problems we have in the country”.

For this reason, Barrios He questioned the president’s proposal, believing that the government’s real intentions are to divert attention “from all the issues that exist in general.”

Among them, he pointed to “the great insecurity of citizens that we have and for which there is no solution” and “the great problem of violence that fundamentally affects women and girls.”

“There is no strategy from the side Govt suitable for combating it. “They always say that we reject violence, but what are we doing to fight it in a sick society like ours,” he noted.

Justice Minister calls death penalty ‘serious proposal’

For his part, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Eduardo Arancommented that it was a “serious proposal” as the president noted regarding the death penalty for rapists of minors; However, he stressed the need for a national debate involving civil society to reach a decision.

“We cannot continue to tolerate these cases where some have no respect for human life. In such a case, we consider it expedient, and the executive power undertakes to provide citizens with the necessary consultations and discussions,” he said.

“On the part of the Ministry of Justice, we are going to implement it. This is a serious proposition. We are going to bring this consultation to the attention of citizens at the national level so that they can decide whether these cases are appropriate for the death penalty,” he added.

When asked whether Peru will give up Pact of San Jose with Costa Rica on the application of the death penalty, the head of justice replied that it was not an immediate decision and reiterated that the pros and cons of applying this harsh punishment would be evaluated.

“We are going to listen to the citizens and after the hearing, an appropriate decision will be made,” he added.