Argentina Senate pushes bill to boost penalties for false sexual assault reports

The Argentine Senate has advanced a draft law presented by Senator Carolina Losada that would raise prison sentences for people who file false complaints of gender‑based violence, sexual abuse or crimes against minors. Under the proposal, basic false accusations could be punished with one to three years in prison, while cases involving gender violence or minors could carry up to six years, surpassing the current maximum of four years for simple sexual assault.

Human‑rights organisations, including Amnesty International Argentina, argue that false reports are extremely rare – a study of more than eight million cases showed they constitute only 0.09% of proceedings – and warn that the measure could deter victims from reporting real abuse. The bill arrives amid President Javier Milei’s broader rollback of gender‑policy institutions, such as the dissolution of the Ministry of Women, and has drawn criticism from the UN’s CEDAW committee, which recommended that the government withdraw the proposal.

If enacted, the law would significantly increase penalties for false testimony and related offences, prompting a debate over proportionality and the protection of victims in a context of already high femicide rates.