CHILE · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —What is happening Chile’s Justice Ministry granted 56 sentence reductions to people convicted of sexual crimes against children between 11 March and 13 September, and Justice Minister Fernando Rabat confirmed the total on 21 October.
- —Why it matters The cuts came by ministry decree rather than from courts, although a 2022 law now bars the benefit for such crimes and the government argues the bar cannot reach older cases.
- —The numbers Of the 56 decrees, 27 concern child sexual abuse and 29 concern rape of a minor, while one request was refused, an average of one decree every three days.
- —Who is who Fernando Rabat is justice minister under conservative President José Antonio Kast. Anuar Quesille heads the Children’s Ombudsman, which wants answers, and Communist deputies are seeking to question Rabat in Congress.
- —What to watch Whether opposition deputies gather enough signatures to summon Rabat, and how the Children’s Ombudsman and the courts respond to the ministry’s explanation.
- —What it means for you US citizens and travel to Chile face no direct effect, but the dispute adds political pressure on a Chilean government that US investors follow closely.
- —Power Index Chile ranks 3rd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 63.6 points (October 2026 edition).
Chile’s Justice Ministry has cut the sentences of 56 people convicted of child sex crimes. Minister Fernando Rabat says the law left no choice.
Chile’s Justice Ministry has cut the terms of 56 people convicted of child sex crimes since 11 March. Justice Minister Fernando Rabat confirmed the figure on Wednesday, 21 October, after the news outlet Interferencia published it.
Of the 56 decrees, 27 concern child sexual abuse and 29 concern rape of a minor. The ministry says Supreme Court rulings bar it from refusing, while opposition lawmakers call the cuts a partial pardon.
What the Justice Ministry Confirmed
Interferencia, a Chilean news outlet, obtained the figures through a transparency request answered in official letter ORD 7067 from the Justice Undersecretariat. They cover decrees signed between 11 March, when President José Antonio Kast took office, and 13 September.
Only one request was rejected, in a child abuse case. That works out at about one decree every three days, or roughly nine a month.
Interferencia cites sources saying none of the 56 came through a court appeal or other judicial route. The requests reached the ministry directly and the ministry approved them.
Rabat confirmed the total to reporters, and said, per Cooperativa, the ministry applied the Supreme Court’s doctrine from dozens of amparo appeals. Those are constitutional petitions to protect personal liberty.
How a Sentence Reduction Works in Chile
The benefit is regulated by Law 19.856, which lets prisoners cut time from a sentence for outstanding conduct. Once a year, Gendármería, the national prison service, lists the inmates who meet the formal requirements.
Gendármería sends that list to the Justice Ministry, which decides each case. A reduction commission, which also includes judges and court officials, assesses the prisoner’s conduct, the ministry told BioBioChile.
Regional ministry offices then verify the requirements, and the ministry’s Social Reinsertion Division reviews the file. Each decree is issued "by order of the President of the Republic," Interferencia notes.
The ministry says it cannot refuse a reduction when the requirements are met and no exclusion applies. That is why it describes the power as bound by law rather than discretionary.
The Dispute Over the 2022 Law
Law 21.421, passed in 2022, excluded people convicted of certain sexual crimes against minors from the benefit. The ministry told BioBioChile the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that this exclusion cannot apply to crimes committed before 9 February 2022.
On that basis, the ministry says it has granted no reduction for crimes committed since that date. It says every approved case met all the other legal requirements.
As an example, the ministry showed BioBioChile a February 2026 ruling by the Valdivia Court of Appeals. The court ordered a reduction the ministry had refused for an abuse committed in 2015.
BioBioChile notes the ruling does not show how the 56 current cases were reviewed. It also shows the ministry was still refusing such requests early this year.
Interferencia asked how many people stand behind the 56 decrees and whether criteria or internal circulars had changed since earlier administrations. The ministry had not replied when the outlet published.
The Children’s Ombudsman, an independent state watchdog led by Anuar Quesille, asked the ministry to explain the grounds for the change. It said victims have a right to justice, protection and reparation.
The ombudsman said it will monitor each case and has not ruled out legal action. Asked by reporters why the decisions were not made public, Rabat replied "Lea la Constitución," Cooperativa reports.
Reaction From Lawmakers and the Government
Jaime Mulet, a deputy of the green-regionalist FRVS party who chairs the Constitution Committee, called the cuts a partial pardon. He said that reducing sentences without any judge’s involvement is "extremely serious," Cooperativa reports.
Jorge Guzmán, a deputy of the governing bloc’s Evópoli party, criticized the ministry for easing the procedure. He said it benefits people convicted of very grave crimes.
Luis Sánchez, a deputy of the Republican Party, which Kast founded, blamed the courts’ doctrine on the issue. He said the executive must address it.
Communist Party deputies, including Marcos Barraza, are collecting signatures to summon Rabat in an interpellation. That is a formal summons obliging a minister to answer questions, and it needs one third of deputies.
New government spokesman Gonzalo Arenas called the report "quite malicious." He said the executive can only process lawful requests, and called the procedure "impeccable."
Supreme Court president Gloria Ana Chevesich said she had no information on the matter and would like more. Interferencia also contrasts the cuts with the child protection plan Kast launched on 31 August with Social Development Minister María Jesús Wulf.
For background on the president, see who Kast is and the earlier report on a watchdog bribery flag. The expulsion law and the Chile news hub give wider context.
What It Means for US Readers
Kast, a conservative who took office on 11 March, now faces criticism from the opposition and from his own governing bloc. Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, so US investors track its government closely.
The reports reviewed describe no effect on US citizens or on travel to Chile. The story matters mainly as political risk, since an interpellation or new legislation could absorb Congress and the government’s attention.
The core legal question will be familiar to US readers: whether a tougher law applies to crimes committed before it took effect. American courts handle a similar issue under the constitutional ban on ex post facto laws.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how many of the 56 crimes predate 9 February 2022, or how many people stand behind the decrees. Interferencia says the ministry did not answer those questions before publication.
The reports reviewed do not say how much time each decree removed, or whether any prisoner has left prison as a result. They also do not show how the ministry checked requirements or protected victims.
It is not known whether the ministry changed its criteria or instructions from the previous administration, a question Interferencia put to it. The reports reviewed contain no direct statement from President Kast.
What Comes Next
Communist deputies must gather enough signatures before an interpellation of Rabat can be scheduled. The Children’s Ombudsman is waiting for the ministry’s reply and may take further action.
Nothing announced so far reverses decrees that were already issued. A court ruling or a change in the law would be needed to do that.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sentences did Chile cut for sexual crimes against children?
The Justice Ministry issued 56 decrees between 11 March and 13 September 2026. Of these, 27 concern child sexual abuse and 29 concern rape of a minor.
Is this a presidential pardon?
Lawmakers such as Jaime Mulet call it a partial pardon. The ministry treats it as a benefit regulated by Law 19.856 that must be granted when the requirements are met.
Why did the ministry grant the reductions?
The ministry says the Supreme Court has ruled that the 2022 exclusion cannot apply to crimes committed before 9 February 2022. The ministry says it granted none for crimes after that date.
What do critics say?
Critics, including the Children’s Ombudsman and opposition deputies, say the ministry must explain its legal grounds. They say it has not shown how it checked each case.
What happens next?
Communist deputies are collecting signatures to summon Rabat in an interpellation. The Children’s Ombudsman has asked for explanations and may take action.
Sources: Interferencia, 21 October 2026; Cooperativa, 21 October 2026; BioBioChile, 21 October 2026; BioBioChile on the interpellation, 21 October 2026; Diario Concepción, 21 October 2026; El Perióscopio, 21 October 2026 (all accessed 22 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief