Harsher prison sentences and the death penalty won’t eradicate femicide

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In some states, those involved in femicide are held in preventive custody, a measure that was not applied to suspects until they were sentenced to prison , even when they where accusations and evidence against them since being held in custody could violence their presumption of innocence . Now, the adoption of preventive custody was implemented under the argument that it would stop criminals from running away and killing more women.

Nevertheless, toughening the punishment hasn’t decreased femicide rates in the states where harsher measures have been implemented, as shown in numbers released by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System ( SESNSP ), but on the contrary, crime rates are stable and in some cases, numbers have increased.

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International studies show that increasing prison sentences , bails , or implementing the death penalty do not decrease serious crimes such as femicide ; therefore, political parties should not spend time analyzing and discussing these measures that will not halt crime and that could threaten the life of an innocent person.

In one of his articles published by this newspaper, security expert Alejandro Hope explains that the solution to eradicate high crime rates is an “explicit and focused policy to reduce lethal violence that turns homicide into a rare crime, always investigated and punished.”

But when impunity in general, it is unlikely that criminals will face justice . It doesn’t matter if prison sentences are harsher or if the death penalty is implemented, it will not halt crime. Therefore, eradicating impunity is key.

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