# Brazilian legislative debate on criminal responsibility age

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/brazilian-legislative-debate-on-criminal-responsibility-age
> Updated: 2026-10-19T07:30:00.000Z. Sources: 45. Developments: 2.

The legislative debate in the Brazilian Senate regarding the Public Security Constitutional Amendment Proposal (PEC) remains stalled. While President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has shifted his stance to support reducing the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 years for heinous crimes, the proposal faces significant friction.

Senator Camilo Santana (PT) previously introduced an amendment to limit the reduction to 16-year-olds for heinous crimes to counter an opposition push by Rogério Marinho, who seeks to lower the age to 14 for severe offenses. Due to this lack of consensus, Senate President Davi Alcolumbre has postponed the vote on the PEC until after the second round of presidential elections, scheduled for October 25.

As the election approaches, legal protections under Article 236 of the Electoral Code have taken effect, granting immunity from arrest to voters from October 20 until October 27, with specific exceptions for flagrante delicto or non-bailable sentences. Additionally, the Lula campaign has petitioned the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to ensure voters are notified via WhatsApp regarding the relocation of 4,352 electoral sections, following a 21.08% abstention rate in the first round.

## Claims

- President Lula supports reducing the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 for heinous crimes. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- Senate President Davi Alcolumbre postponed the vote on the Public Security PEC until after the second round of elections. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Senator Camilo Santana proposed an amendment to reduce the age of criminal responsibility to 16 years specifically for heinous crimes. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Opposition leader Rogério Marinho proposed reducing the age of criminal responsibility to 14 for heinous crimes and 16 for other cases. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Voters are immune from arrest from October 20 until October 27, 2026. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- 80% of Brazilians support reducing the criminal age from 18 to 16. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- 89% of Flávio Bolsonaro supporters favor reducing the criminal age, while 70% of Lula supporters favor it. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The Public Security PEC aims to centralize the fight against organized crime and militias at the federal level. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The current minimum age for criminal responsibility in Brazil is 12 years. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- A BTG/Nexus poll shows a technical tie in the presidential race, with Flávio Bolsonaro at 50.3% and Lula at 49.7% of valid votes. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Heinous crimes in Brazil are non-bailable and ineligible for amnesty or pardon. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-19: Brazil: Election immunity and legislative deadlock

Brazil enters the final days before the second electoral round with voter arrest immunity in effect and legislative debates over criminal responsibility age stalled in the Senate.

31 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-criminal-age-reduction-gains-80-public-support

### 2026-10-16: Brazil: President Lula supports reducing criminal age for heinous crimes

President Lula now supports reducing Brazil's criminal age from 18 to 16 for heinous crimes, a move backed by 80% of the population but facing debate in the Senate.

18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lula-supports-reducing-criminal-responsibility-age-for-heinous-crimes

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Cite as: Brazilian legislative debate on criminal responsibility age. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/brazilian-legislative-debate-on-criminal-responsibility-age