The harsh life sentences received by both the couple and the mother of Lucio Dupuy, the boy murdered in his home in La Pampa following enduring a long period of psychological, physical and sexual violence, seem to close a cycle for his family, beyond challenge specific aspects of the ruling. As a society, questions arise regarding the problems that persist to get involved in preventing child abuse, the judicial and media handling of cases and the answers offered, both to victims and aggressors.
Lucio’s case was one of the most extreme, but it is not isolated. Last year, the 102 helpline offered by the State to report violence, mistreatment and child abuse received more than 21,000 calls, 5% more than in 2021, nearly 60 a day, across the country. According to the Office of Domestic Violence (OVD) of the Supreme Court, between 2019 and 2021 there were 6,805 complaints from children and adolescents affected by domestic violence; in 80% of the cases they were assaulted by their parents. There are no certain numbers of murdered children under 18 years of age because the crime of infanticide was eliminated in 1994 and the statistics of intentional homicides do not disaggregate age or relationship, an unfortunate state deficiency that makes it difficult to approach the issue.
La Pampa exemplifies the slowness and ineffectiveness of the State in dealing with this problem. It was the last province to join the free emergency line Managed by the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Family (Senaf). She did it following the resounding crime. The day Lucio was killed, a neighbor who heard screaming and crying called the police, but an error in the address prevented them from arriving. to the house. The topic was not followed up. There was negligence in health and education services, which ignored clear warning signs (injuries to the body, their behavior) and they did not activate the protocols for these cases. The Family judge is also questioned, who granted custody to Lucio’s mother and her partner, without listening to or evaluating the best interests of the child.nor reliably determine if the women were able to raise Lucio, who lived with his grandparents.
For the case, Congress passes a law that establishes a plan so thatPublic officials at all levels are compulsorily trained in children’s rights and violence once morest children. He has a half sanction in Deputies and waits in Senators. Another urgency delayed by “the crack”.
The 102 statistics also reveal that 43% of the requests are made by adults close to the victim (relatives, neighbors), 38% anonymous and only 1% of callers are children. For years there have been no systematic education and awareness campaigns on violence once morest children and adolescents. Yes, there is evidence that Comprehensive Sexual Education (ESI), so reviled by some, has served as an instance of complaint.
The trial also leaves lessons for officials, professionals and the media. Its dissemination often did not follow adequate criteria to avoid re-victimizing those affected by violence, the reiteration of images that identify those involved, disseminating versions not verified by reliable sources and not exposing children and adolescents. Value judgments and tendentious stories were also abused, which incriminate the judged persons in advance.
As the lawyer points out constitutionalist Roberto Gargarella, anger and stupor over aberrational cases should not automatically lead to the conclusion that “more justice is to achieve the highest penalty.” Without endorsing impunity, we must question whether what we want as a society is to learn from the facts or just instill fear “to dissuade the rest.” If the State is only an instrument of collective revenge to “give someone what they deserve” or to “reform and reintegrate” criminals, as mandated by the Constitution.
Definitely, see if we are capable of a social consensus that stops normalizing violence in the upbringing of children and adolescents, committing ourselves and giving community and institutional responses in preventing and denouncing these abuses.
