Key facts
- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva supports lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 16 from 18 for heinous crimes.
- Senator Flavio Bolsonaro supports lowering the age to 16 generally, and to 14 for violent crimes.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Thursday that he now supports lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 16 from 18 for heinous crimes. The shift in policy, announced during an interview with TV Globo, comes just over a week before a presidential runoff election. Lula's opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, and his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, have long advocated for lowering the age. Public opinion polls indicate that 80% of the population supports such a change. The list of crimes classified as "heinous" in Brazil is extensive and includes murder, rape, and drug trafficking.