Brazilian President Lula Supports Lowering Age of Criminal Responsibility

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has shifted his long-standing policy by announcing in a television interview that he supports lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 for heinous crimes.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on TV Globo on Thursday night, Lula stated that he changed his view after public opinion polls showed that 80% of the public supports lowering this age limit. According to Brazilian law, "heinous" crimes cover a wide range of offenses, from murder and rape to drug trafficking and pharmaceutical counterfeiting.

This policy shift comes shortly before the presidential runoff election. The incumbent Lula is seeking to increase his vote share against his far-right senator rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, who narrowly finished ahead in the first round. His rival and former president father, Jair Bolsonaro, had previously advocated lowering the age limit to 14, while Lula and his party had opposed such changes.

Human rights organizations and security experts criticize these proposals, arguing that lowering the age of criminal responsibility does not reduce violence, but rather increases recruitment into organized crime syndicates within overcrowded prisons. The Brazilian Bishops' Conference has also stated that introducing young people into the penal system at an earlier age could deepen cycles of violence.