Versión Español
EspañolAs of Wednesday, the Mexican government has begun imposing tougher penalties for those found guilty of kidnapping crimes. The minimum prison sentence has increased from 20 to 40 years, while maximum jail time has gone up from 50 to 140 years. In addition, fines associated with kidnapping convictions have also increased.
These changes affect all different types of kidnappings that occur in the country, including “express kidnappings,” hostage situations that last only a few hours.
Kidnappings orchestrated by public officials, such as police or army officers, will have even stricter penalties.
The dramatic increase in the number of kidnappings that occur in Mexico is one of the reasons behind the government’s new policy. Authorities believe the 102,000 cases reported to police in 2012 amount to less than 2 percent of the actual number of kidnappings.
Source: BBC Mundo.
