Argentine legislative security and social policy updates

Legislative activity in Argentina has focused on security, social protection, and criminal justice. In Santa Fe, the Senate has moved toward establishing a system for the prevention and management of gender violence risks, which includes risk classification and electronic monitoring.

In the Province of Buenos Aires, commissions have approved a report to authorize the use of Taser pistols by provincial police, provided they undergo specialized training and follow strict protocols for less-lethal weapons. Additionally, the Senate is reviewing reforms to the National Mental Health Law regarding voluntary hospitalization procedures.

Efforts to reform criminal legislation regarding childhood sexual abuse have intensified. The Chamber of Deputies' Criminal Legislation Commission has been analyzing 12 projects aimed at preventing the statute of limitations from obstructing justice, such as making certain crimes imprescriptible or suspending time limits during a defendant's flight. This follows a case in Buenos Aires where a suspect was released because the statute of limitations had expired.

Expanding on these efforts, Senator Patricia Bullrich has introduced a legislative project to declare several crimes against minors imprescriptible. This proposal seeks to amend the Penal Code so that sexual abuse, corruption of minors, child prostitution, sexual exploitation, child pornography, online sexual harassment, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation never expire. The project also proposes increasing general statute of limitations periods for crimes carrying life imprisonment from 15 to 20 years.

Further regional efforts include a proposal in Entre Ríos to establish protocols for detecting and preventing digital sexual violence against minors involving artificial intelligence.