The imputability for legal maturity in the face of the increase in crime in Ecuador (Review).

Abstract

In Ecuador, imputability due to legal maturity refers to the ability of a person over 18 years of age to be considered criminally responsible for their actions. Due to the increase in crime and the perception of impunity among minors, changes have been proposed in the legislation to establish the imputability of minor offenders. The debate over liability due to legal maturity focuses on determining whether adolescents have the capacity to understand the seriousness of their actions and whether they should be treated as adults in the criminal justice system. In Ecuador, the Constitution establishes that adolescents have special rights and guarantees, recognizing their condition as developing subjects. In addition, the Organic Code of Children and Adolescents establishes protection, rehabilitation and reintegration measures for minors in conflict with criminal law. However, some sectors of society consider that these measures are not sufficient to address the problem of increased youth crime. The objective of the research is to analyze the imputability of adolescents in the face of the increase in crime in Ecuador. The methodology is historical-logical and reasoning based on a qualitative approach.