Deputies approve Penal Code in second reading despite social controversies

Santo Domingo.– In a marathon session that extended until 3:00 a.m. this Thursday, the Chamber of Deputies approved in second reading the bill that modifies the Dominican Penal Code, bringing the country closer to replacing legislation in force since 1884, based on the old French code of 1810.

The piece was supported by 159 deputies, with only four votes against, after an intense debate in the chamber where more than 50 legislators took turns to express their positions. Among them, the president of the Chamber, Alfredo Pacheco, who, although he defended the causes of abortion, explained his favorable vote as a way to advance the modernization of the penal system.

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The project had already been approved in its first reading on July 23rd and included a report with modifications introduced by the legislators themselves, some of which were rejected during the debate. The proposal was previously discussed with the Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso and representatives of the National Police. However, the new Code has generated widespread rejection from social, academic, and public figures, including First Lady Raquel Arbaje and her daughters, who signed a document along with more than a thousand professionals questioning the piece. The main criticisms focus on the limitation of the concept of femicide, the obstacles to prosecuting cases of domestic violence, the inclusion of statute of limitations in sexual offenses —even in cases of rape of minors— and the total exclusion of the three grounds for abortion, which maintains its absolute criminalization in the country.