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Nine in Every Ten Brazilians Support Criminal Responsibility at the Age of 16

06/22/2015 - 08h48

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FROM SÃO PAULO

Shortly before congressmen decide if the age of criminal responsibility will be reduced from 18 to 16 in the cases of violent crimes, nine in every ten Brazilians said they are in favor of the change, shows a Datafolha survey.

Eighty-seven percent of those interviewed by Datafolha last week said they support the change.

The number is exactly the same as that of April – it is the highest since the survey on the theme started.

Those who are against the change in the Brazilian constitution amount to 11%, while 1% said they are indifferent and 1% didn`t have an opinion.

The survey shows that 73% of those interviewed support the change in any type of crime. Among the 27% who support the change only in certain cases, however, the number of those who defend the change in the law for only some types of violent crimes has grown.

For example: in April, 41% wanted the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility in cases of rape. The number has now risen to 53%. In the case of kidnapping, the number has risen from 14% to 24%. The same has occurred regarding homicide – an increase to 89% from 75%.

On Wednesday, June 17, a commission in the Congress approved a bill that calls for a change only in the cases of violent crimes.

The bill is the result of an agreement between the president of Congress, Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ) and the PSDB. The PT and President Dilma Rousseff are against the reduction.

The project now will be analyzed by the congressmen. If it is approved in two voting sessions, it will be sent to the Senate.

Because it is a change in the constitution, if the bill is approved in Congress, the document will be enacted without the possibility of being analyzed or vetoed by the Executive branch.

Last week, Datafolha interviewed 2,840 people in 174 cities in the country – the survey has a margin of error of 2%.

The Northeast had the highest proportional approval – 89% of those interviewed said they are in favor of the change. The Midwest, on the other hand, showed the highest disapproval with 15% of the people rejecting the change.

The support for the reduction in the age of criminal responsibility falls as the schooling years of those interviewed increases. For example, among those who only finished elementary school, the support reaches 90%. Among those who have a college education, 78% support the change.

Those with a higher income tend to support the reduction less than those who have a lower one.

Among the members of families who have a monthly income of up to five times the minimum wage, 88% said they are in favor of the reduction. The number falls to 81% among those who earn more than ten times the minimum wage per month.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

Read the article in the original language

Yuri Gonzaga-27.abr.2013/Folhapress
Protesters supporting the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility in São Paulo
Protesters supporting the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility in São Paulo

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