By The Star Staff
District 19 (Mayagüez and San Germán) Rep. Jocelyne Rodríguez Negrón introduced legislation Tuesday to exclude individuals convicted of sexual assault and child pornography from early release by the Parole Board and Article 308 of the Penal Code.
“After the alarming increase in cases of sexual assault and child pornography on the island, we have to take forceful action against these aggressors who, with their violence, scar the lives of their victims, leaving permanent consequences,” Rodríguez Negrón said. “They must be excluded from the consideration of the Parole Board.”
Rodríguez Negrón, who chairs the House Women’s Committee, insisted they have done a “high level of work,” focusing on priority issues for women, including the high number of sexual assaults and acts of child pornography.
“It is imperative to temper the law to the times we live in, where cases of this nature are becoming more noticeable and, at the same time, more atrocious,” the legislator said. “The victims live their entire lives in fear and anguish of reliving the situation that, in one way or another, changed their lives forever. Furthermore, these people face the reality of the gaps in the laws and ambiguity in certain cases, such as the one presented here. The rights of the victims must be safeguarded and the mental health and peace that were taken away from victims should not be further harmed.”
“We understand the right to rehabilitation. However, the safety of the victims must prevail,” Rodríguez Negrón said. “We must be emphatic and join efforts to prevent other women from being victims of these people who, on many occasions, commit the same acts again.”
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