Moro Reflects on Life Imprisonment and Death Penalty for Crimes in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In an interview, Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Sérgio Moro, told Boris Casoy what he thinks about life imprisonment and the death penalty, and said he did not know “if all that is necessary”, while the current system is a source of discontent.

“Look, I see that several European countries have life sentences. I don’t know if all this is necessary, but it is absurdly inadequate when one sees, in Brazil, people sentenced for homicide and even aggravated homicide, spending less than ten years in prison. This is a penalty that seems not in proportion to the gravity of these crimes”, he argued.

Commenting on the death penalty, the minister reflected on the implications of adopting this type of sentence.

“The issue with the death penalty always involves the question of judicial error. When you’re wrong, it’s impossible to go back, so it’s really an issue pointed out even in the countries that adopt it,” he said.

Moro also evaluated the progression of imprisonment regimes and said he was in favor of modifying the criteria for this system, which he believes is very generous.

“In addition to the fact that an individual ultimately answers for a penalty that is disproportionate to the crime, this brings the justice system into discredit,” he said.

Source: Rede TV