On April 11, the Chamber of Deputies voted on the “Co-responsibility in parenting” project, which is a Law that harms children.
Public statement from organizations:
We closed the year 2022 with information on 7,035 children and adolescents in situations of mistreatment and sexual abuse (SIPVIAV, April 25, 2022), 529 situations of sexual exploitation (CONAPEE,S, December 7, 2022) and the homicide of 8 children by fathers and mother’s partner. Surely this April 25, World Day for the fight against child abuse, it will be reported that the reality of violence against children persists. This situation requires that you act with a real commitment to prevent, address, protect and punish this violation of rights. There is a responsibility that belongs to the State, but also to the general public: we have the responsibility to demand protection.
⎯ We remind the entire population that this is a project that does not have data or evidence to justify the need to modify the current rules on possession, visits and links between parents and their sons and daughters and even less in cases of violence.
⎯ We underline that the regulations in force guarantee the protection of boys and girls and the prosecution of crimes that affect them. The serious problem in the justice system in particular is the lack of resources and training that generates delays and revictimizing responses for all parties and especially for girls and boys.
⎯ It is a project that starts from the premise, without data or evidence, that adults reported for abuse, maltreatment or exploitation are victims of false reports, and is designed to protect those adults reported for violence, confusing the principle of innocence with the principle of protection of boys and girls, exposing the victims to maintain visits with those who violate them, demonstrating ignorance of the dynamics of violence and the strategies of those who violate them.
⎯ We remind you that national standards must not be in contradiction with the provisions of international conventions and must be based on studies and evidence. The country is exposed, if this bill is approved, to receive observations from the Monitoring Committees of these Conventions for being regressive in the guarantees of protection of children and adolescents.
⎯ We recall that specialized social organizations, magistrates, public defenders, chairs of the Faculty of Law and Medicine, international organizations, professional groups have provided compelling data on the cases attended, evidence on the dynamics of violence, the devastating impact on childhood, the dynamics of abusers and exploiters (threatening, denying the facts, blaming the victims) that have not been taken into account by many deputies who insist on voting for this law that harms children.
⎯ We recognize the rigor with which many studied the issue and acted with the responsibility of being part of a political system that works for the rights of all people and particularly for boys and girls.
⎯ Each legislator must be accountable to the population for voting on each article of this project that has been clearly indicated as contrary to the rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in national laws.
⎯ Voting for this law is to deepen the barriers that children have to access justice, it is to give abusers and exploiters one more tool so that they can continue to violate and silence children and adolescents who ask for help.
⎯ Voting for this law is favoring impunity.
⎯ Although girls and boys do not vote, minors who are abused, mistreated or sexually exploited should not be negotiated in political agreements.
It is time to stop and not be part of this outrage, that each one assume the commitment not to vote for this bad law that harms children and start working to strengthen access to justice, with resources and training.
To find out more, read the appearances of experts on the subject, go to
A #BadLaw that #HarmsChildhood #QuenoSeVote
National Association of Development Oriented Non-Governmental Organizations
Committee on the Rights of the Child of Uruguay
Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights
intersocial feminist
Uruguayan Network against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Pro Care Network
