Spain Passes Law on Victim Pardon for Sentence Extinction

A law that seeks to establish the possibility of sentence extinction for certain crimes through the pardon of victims was sanctioned by the Executive Branch yesterday, Thursday, November 13. In cases of crimes against sexual freedom and integrity, the victim's pardon will not serve as a cause for the extinction of the penalty, the law states. Other crimes covered by this measure include slander and defamation, against intellectual property that does not endanger public health, inviolability of the home and secrecy, and falsification of documents to the detriment of individuals. The law adds an article to the Penal Code to take into account the opinion of victims in the conviction or sanction of those accused of homicide, personal injuries and simple culpable offenses. It should be noted that offenses against sexual freedom and integrity are excluded from this privilege in any of its modalities. However, the latter must not "seriously" affect the victim's assets. This same benefit may be used in cases of simple theft, misappropriation, fraud and other scams, usurpation, damages and crimes committed by check. According to its proponent, the objective of this provision is to reduce the burden on the judicial system and will encourage positive behavior and resocialization.