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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | March 2007 
Kidnappers May Get Life
 El Universal
| | Mexico currently does not impose life sentences or the death penalty for any crime. |
President Calderón on Thursday proposed life sentences for kidnappers who prey on women, children or the elderly, and those that kill or maim their victims.
Mexico currently does not impose life sentences or the death penalty for any crime.
"There is no room in Mexico for those who choose this type of crime," said Calderón, who announced the measure at an event marking International Women´s Day.
Calderón promised during his 2006 presidential campaign to pursue the tougher sentencing.
He said Thursday he would send the measure to Congress and that it would call for a minimum sentence of 30 years for particular offenses.
The current maximum sentence for any crime is about 60 years, but many inmates in Mexico do not serve out their full sentences because of reductions for good behavior or other factors.
In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that life sentences did not constitute cruel or unusual punishment, but the issue remains controversial.
Calderón´s proposal "is totally contrary to the policies of democratic countries, which are seeking to make sentences more effective, rather than just increasing them," said Miguel Sarre, a lawyer and researcher at the Autono- mous Technological Institute.
Since he took office on Dec. 1, Calderón has pledged to fight crime and drug trafficking.
He has sent thousands of soldiers and federal police to several Mexican states to crack down on gangs and organized crime. |
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