Santo Domingo.– The President of the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos, reported this Friday that a bill was filed with the General Legislative Secretariat to modify 18 articles of Law No. 74-25, which establishes the new Penal Code, with the objective that the changes be reviewed and approved before the regulation enters into force.
The initiative was referred to the Bicameral Commission studying the modification of the Penal Code and incorporates observations presented by jurists, academics, communicators, media representatives, civil society organizations, and other sectors, with the purpose of strengthening the content of the legislation.
Among the proposed modifications are five articles related to freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the right to information. According to the draft, the changes seek to clarify the scope of several criminal offenses and avoid interpretations that could affect the exercise of these fundamental rights.
The reforms include articles 123, regarding cyberbullying; 192, concerning the dissemination of audio and images without consent; 208, relating to defamation; 211, regarding acts not considered defamatory or injurious, and 310, which defines the crime of outrage.
The proposal also contemplates adjustments to the articles related to bullying, sexual exhibitionism, aggravated harassment, and the abandonment of children and adolescents, in order to strengthen the protection of individuals and clarify the application of these provisions.
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Likewise, it incorporates technical modifications in articles related to the statute of limitations for criminal actions, self-kidnapping, perjury, simple bankruptcy, and false certification of health status, with the aim of strengthening legal certainty and improving the drafting of the law.
Regarding crimes against public administration and other illicit acts, the initiative also proposes changes to the provisions on procuring and embezzlement of public funds, through adjustments to the sanction regime provided for those behaviors.
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Ricardo de los Santos explained that the project will be studied by the Bicameral Commission before being submitted to the plenary of the National Congress and reiterated the commitment that the modifications be approved before Law No. 74-25 enters into force, so that the country has a Penal Code strengthened and enriched with the contributions made during the review process.
