sà ěr wǎ duō萨尔瓦多pī zhǔn批准duì对ér tóng儿童hé和qīng shào nián青少年pàn判wú qī tú xíng无期徒刑
El Salvador's legislature has passed a new law: children and adolescents over the age of 12 may be sentenced to long prison terms, and even life imprisonment, if they commit serious crimes.
This is not just a small change to the legal rules; it changes the place of children in the law.
Many international organizations believe that children are different from adults.
A 12-year-old is still growing, and their thinking, judgment, and ability to control emotions are not fully mature yet, so juvenile justice should originally place more emphasis on education, support, and reintegration into society.
Studies have also found that many children who enter the justice system come from environments of violence, poverty, and a lack of protection, so they are already more vulnerable.
If children are locked up for many years, it will not only be hard to truly reduce reoffending, but it may also make it harder for them to start a new life.
The article also worries that if crimes such as "terrorism" are defined more and more broadly, more children may face harsh punishment.
This issue is not only a legal issue, but also a social one: if a society is willing to punish children the same way it punishes adults, it also shows a very harsh view of the future and of safety.