Former minister Jaime Gajardo criticized statements by Minister Fernando Rabat on reviewing possible pardons for those convicted of sexual crimes against minors on a case-by-case basis.
Justice Minister Fernando Rabat said Thursday on CNN Chile that any pardon decision would depend on the circumstances of each case file. “It will depend on the case and the analysis that you carry out”, he stated. President José Antonio Kast had declared last December during a debate: “I would never pardon a child abuser. Never”. Former Justice Minister Gajardo responded that under no circumstances should pardons be granted to those who committed sexual crimes against children or human rights violations during the dictatorship. “Those criminals do not deserve any type of pardon, the signal of relativizing that is very bad for our society”, Gajardo told La Tercera. Rabat also held a meeting with Kast on Friday at La Moneda to discuss pardon requests.
