Lula Supports Lowering Criminal Responsibility Age to 16

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced his support for lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 for heinous crimes, including drug trafficking, rape, and murder. This policy reversal follows opinion polls indicating that 80% of the Brazilian population supports the change.

The announcement occurs just over a week before the presidential runoff election. Lula currently trails far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who maintains a 2.2 million-vote lead from the first round. While Flávio Bolsonaro and former president Jair Bolsonaro advocate for reducing the age further to 14, Lula's shift is seen as a strategy to attract undecided voters.

Human rights organizations and the Episcopal Conference of Brazil have opposed the proposal. Critics argue that premature incarceration fails to address the root causes of crime and instead deepens cycles of violence.