2023-08-27 04:00:00
There is a belief that adolescents under the age of 18 who commit crimes are arrested, enter through one door and exit through the other, and commit crimes once more. Is it really so? What is the judicial intervention and, in that case, what do the juvenile criminal judges do?
To learn regarding the problem, PROFILE CÓRDOBA requested information on the cases in which crimes committed by minors are investigated, which cause fear and generate a sense of vulnerability and powerlessness in the population: the piranha robberies and the recent group vandalism attacks on businesseswhich began last Sunday in Río Cuarto and extended last week to various cities in the Province.
differences. The first piece of information that emerges, according to the information provided by the Juvenile Criminal Courts (JPJ) involved, is that the profile of young people who made up the piranha robbery gangs has its own characteristics, different from those that can occur in other crimes. There is a high percentage of women, something that does not occur in other criminal phenomena and the vast majority are school boys with present family ties, who responded to calls through social networks for the sense of belonging rather than for the purpose of robbery.
Similarities. There are also common characteristics between the phenomenon of piranha robberies and looting: the number of young minors who participate exceeds the number of adults, although in most episodes the organizers and instigators are adults.
The imputed legal qualifications are identical: “robbery in town and in ganga”, that is, one step above common theft, due to the level of organization that requires its realization and because it is carried out in groups. They resemble in the low and almost zero recidivism. All magistrates, when asked if the minors in their charge had a criminal record they answered no and they only marked some cases as the exception.
And the fourth similarity is the importance of social networks for the calls.
When a minor commits a crime, the gaze of Justice points to two aspects. In the first place, scrutinize his person, his family and his social ties to assess if he has deficiencies that have motivated his entry into crime. If you do not go to school, you do not have guaranteed food, health, an affective context, Senaf intervenes.
Second, the goal is to get him to reverse the behavior that got him there. For that, there are mediators and recently the pilot plan for Restorative Justice was launched. Through facilitators, the child and adolescent is intervened so that they understand the damage that they caused and modify their attitude.
the boarding it is not punitivealthough the deprivation of liberty is foreseen –revisable every three months– as a measure to be adopted for those who are 16 and 17 years old.
This report shows, in specific cases, what measures were adopted with both punishable and non-punishable young people who participated in looting and piranha robberies. Although it provides data on the problem, it does so only from a judicial perspective and does not delve into the deep social causes that make a child or adolescent commit crime, an essential approach to rethink prevention.
IN NUMBERS
looting. In the seven cities of the province of Córdoba where group robberies of shops were registered, until last Friday there were 26 adults arrested and 35 young people apprehended. Of them, four adults and one teenager are being investigated as alleged instigators of the robberies.
- In the city of Córdoba, the Investigation Prosecutor Ernest of Aragon concentrated the investigations of these episodes. For minors, punishable and non-punishable, the Juvenile Criminal Court 2 (JPJ 2) intervenes temporarily in charge of the judge Nora Giraudo.
- In Río Cuarto, the prosecutor acts Javier DiSanto. With regard to minors, the judge Victoria Cavagnaro.
- In Carlos Paz, the investigation is in charge of the prosecutor Jorgelina Gomez. The Juvenile Criminal Judge is Daniel Strasorier.
- In Villa María, where a minor was detected in a robbery, the judge acts Nerina Gamerowho gave protective participation to Senaf due to its extreme vulnerability.
- In Cosquín, the judge intervenes Ramiro Nunez.
Piranha robberies. From last March to date, eight attacks for the purpose of robbery – also classified as being committed in a gang – were reported and there were police proceedings once morest individual victims or groups, mostly caused by adolescents in Parque Sarmiento, Nueva Córdoba and the area downtown of the city of Córdoba.
- They occurred on March 5 and 24; on April 2, 9 and 16; on May 4; on July 21, and the last one was on August 7. All were in Sarmiento Park, sectors of Nueva Córdoba, near the La Morocha bowling alley and at the intersection of Colón with Rivera Indarte.
- There are 13 adults arrested for these events. Three of them were recently sentenced to preventive detention for being considered organizers of the gang.
- The minors involved are 58. 11 remain in custody.
- The criminal investigation focused on the prosecutor Maria Celeste Blasco. In the Juvenile Criminal Court, the largest number of cases was handled by the judge Daniela Bianciotti (JPJ 1) and in others the judge intervenes Nora Giraudo (JPJ2 and 4).
To prepare this report, all the magistrates mentioned were consulted.
LA QUINTA NEIGHBORHOOD, CARLOS PAZ: Vandalism and robberies of a maxikiosk
The episode, which occurred last Wednesday and caused surprise because the gang that entered a Maxikiosco, surprising the manager, was made up exclusively of adolescents under 18 years of age. Hence, the investigation of the event was carried out by the prosecutor Jorgelina Gómez, with jurisdiction in Juvenile Criminal matters.
She requested the arrest of two 16-year-olds. It was granted by the juvenile criminal judge, Daniel Strasorier, for which they were transferred to the Esperanza Complex.
Interviewed by CÓRDOBA PROFILE, the magistrate explained what the measures adopted were.
– What happened to the other three adolescents, under 16 years of age, not punishable?
–Those who are not subjected to the criminal process were summoned for a hearing, direct and personal, with their parents. On the basis of that meeting, the Court will take the measures concerning them.
What is the range of possible measures?
-In relation to unimputable minors, there is a follow-up by Senaf (Secretary of Children, Adolescents and Family of the Province) on the territory, psychological and family evaluations. It is regarding examining all the circumstances by which minors have come to commit these crimes.
What happens if the parents don’t show up?
They usually show up. I have no history of cases where the parents have not come forward.
– In relation to these young people who are not punishable, is the process closed quickly or are there future evaluations? When are they released from the intervention of the Court?
–The minor criminal judge in these cases may be examining their personal situation up to the age of 18, with precautionary protection measures. It is clear that these minors, who at first were unimputable, following the age of 16 become punishable minors; if they commit other acts, the conditions will change because they can be deprived of their liberty and housed in the Esperanza Complex.
–Was there a repeat offender among the five boys who participated in the robbery at the maxikiosk?
–Only one had an entry into the juvenile penal system. Not the rest.
– In relation to the two young people over 16 years of age, what was arranged?
They have deprivation of liberty. With the progress of the investigation, the prosecutor can ask us to order a precautionary deprivation of liberty. We will examine that request and make room, or not. Other types of measures may also be provided.
ALL RELEASED
Palmar neighborhood, attack on a beverage distributor. On Av. Semillería, a group of people gathered during the early hours of last Tuesday, in front of a beverage distributor. When the police intervened, virtually everyone fled. Two 17-year-olds were arrested taking boxes of fernet from the place. The group had managed to force and lift a metal curtain. Juvenile Criminal Prosecutor Luis Amuchástegui Celis did not request his arrest. The Juvenile Criminal Court handed them over to the families and prohibited them from approaching the premises and not having contact with the owner.
Rio Cuarto, massive looting. Judge Victoria Cavagnaro reported that in one of the acts of vandalism recorded last Sunday in Río Cuarto, the participation of six minors was detected, three of which are not punishable. Prosecutor Javier Di Santo did not request coercive measures in relation to 16-year-olds. In all cases, Senaf intervened to prepare interdisciplinary reports.
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