The scandal surrounding the reduction of sentences for individuals convicted in Chile of sexual offenses against minors—granted over the last six months by the administration of José Antonio Kast—shows no signs of subsiding. Instead, it is intensifying, further highlighting the vulnerability of Justice Minister Fernando Rabat, who authorized these sentence reductions and bears political responsibility for them.
A report published this Tuesday by the news outlet www.biobiochile.cl revealed that all 56 rapists and/or abusers who received sentence reductions via executive decrees since March are now at liberty—and that none of their victims or the victims’ families were notified of their release.
The report also noted that “assessments from the Gendarmería [prison service] warn of a high risk of recidivism, denial of the offense, and a lack of empathy among several of these individuals.” Many are described as “pedophiles with a high risk of reoffending, exhibiting traits of ‘coldness,’ showing no remorse for their crimes, and lacking empathy for their victims.”
In addition to Minister Rabat, who signed off on 22 of these sentence reductions, Undersecretary of Justice Luis Silva facilitated 10, while Undersecretary for Human Rights Pablo Mira authorized one.
Rabat has defended his actions by citing a supposed “doctrine” or jurisprudence from the Supreme Court—which had granted *recursos de amparo* (writs of protection/habeas corpus-style appeals) to prisoners who had previously been denied prison benefits. However, the president of the Supreme Court, Gloria Ana Chévesich, refuted this, pointing out that the Minister of Justice was under no obligation to comply with such rulings. Rabat’s removal is being demanded even by lawmakers aligned with Kast, with arguments such as: “he is going to drag our entire political camp into a problem that will only drag on”; “the magnitude of the error is such that the minister should not remain in his post—hopefully, he will resign to make things easier for our camp and for the President”; and the assertion that this disgrace strikes “at the very heart of what our camp stands for—taking a hard line against criminals and being firm—it undermines who we are and the agenda upon which we were elected.”
Meanwhile, the center-left opposition has initiated a constitutional impeachment process against Rabat, seeking his removal from office and a ban on his holding of any future public positions.
