Following a fire set by hooded students at Liceo Lastarria, Security Minister Trinidad Steinert announced that the government will present a bill to increase penalties for criminal acts in educational establishments. Steinert described the events as “gravísimo” and attributed them to “delincuentes” rather than students. The measure aims to ensure peace for those who want to study.
On Tuesday morning, a group of hooded students caused a fire at Liceo José Victorino Lastarria by throwing Molotov cocktails at the administrative offices and setting up a barricade inside the school.
Security Minister Trinidad Steinert responded by calling the events “gravísimo” and stating that “no es cometido por estudiantes, sino que digamos lo que son, delincuentes”. She announced that the Security Ministry will submit a bill to aggravate penalties for any criminal act committed inside an educational establishment.
“As Ministerio de Seguridad estamos enviando un proyecto para agravar las penas respecto de cualquier hecho delictivo que se cometa al interior de un establecimiento educacional. ¿Para qué? Para que los que quieren realmente estudiar y trabajar en paz, lo puedan hacer porque es un derecho,” Steinert said.
The incident is part of a series of school violence episodes over the past week. In response, Steinert will meet at 3:30 p.m. with the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, José García Ruminot, and the Education Minister, María Paz Arzola, to address prevention of such situations.
