The joint Justice and Legislative Studies commissions of the Senate unanimously endorsed the minutes of the new General Law to Prevent, Investigate and Punish Extortion Crimes, which provides for penalties of up to 41.6 years in prison for those who engage in this conduct.
The legislation, which will be analyzed and voted on in the full Senate this Wednesday, also establishes a basic sentence of between 15 and 25 years in prison for those responsible. For the first time, uniform sanctions are proposed throughout the country and it is determined that extortion will be a crime prosecuted ex officio.
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Among the aggravating factors are established that when there is violence, weapons, police disguise, among others, between 3 and 17 more years are added, reaching up to 41.6 years in prison. In the case of the so-called bumper lifts, they are considered an aggravated modality.
When there are complicit authorities: up to 20 years if they do not report the crimes they know about.
Senate Chamber
Up to 30 years for authorities that allow extortion from prison and 12 years for entering cell phones or devices. Dismissal and disqualification are foreseen for public servants who participate.
The president of the Justice Commission, Javier Corral, explained that the basic criminal rate was raised from 15 to 25 years in prison, to prevent those in states where the rate is higher from seeking to prevent those sentenced for extortion from benefiting and being released.
They make 15 modifications in the Senate
He explained that 15 modifications were made with respect to the minutes sent from San Lázaro, such as the creation of police officers, analysts, public ministries certified and specialized in the investigation of the crime of extortion.
Carolina Viaggiano, PRI senator, supported the reform on behalf of her party but stated that “a general law does not solve on its own the problem that has already overwhelmed the state. We need a real budget for the states. Extortion is a crime mainly under common law. Without more resources for police, prosecutors and local courts, the law will be a dead letter.”
“We need real protection for the victims. If 97% do not report, it is not because they do not know how, it is because they are afraid, because they know that within the government there are those who protect the extortionists, because from there, as we saw with the Sweeper, there are those who protect those who commit crimes outside,” he noted.
EE