First, on St John Bosco's Day, in the midst of public debate on this reform, the Salesians of the two provinces – St Artemides Zatti in Argentina North (ARN) and Ceferino Namuncunurá in Argentina South (ARS) – wrote: ‘Don Bosco discovered his educative and pastoral mission by visiting adolescents and young people in Turin’s prisons. Faced with this harsh reality, he realised the need for a preventive commitment to the most vulnerable (...) We can say that this is precisely the place and the vital experience where the Preventive System was born.’
For this very reason, the Salesians of Don Bosco in Argentina are deeply moved by the debate that is once again being addressed in the country at this time regarding lowering the age of criminal responsibility. ‘We are concerned that an issue of this kind is being dealt with hastily, without an in-depth debate that would allow us to see the complexity of the issue, or by taking advantage only of the political gains that a measure can offer that fails to address deeper and more structural causes,’ they state in their note.
Back in March last year, the Social Pastoral Care of the Argentine Episcopate offered a key reflection on this issue, which the Salesians believe it is essential to recall today. This is the document ‘More opportunities than penalties’, to which the Salesian Family fully adheres. It proposes a path of dialogue that helps to see the whole picture of the issue, in order to respond in a more structural than sensationalist way to this reality that affects us all.
A few days later, the Social Works and Services Team of the Salesian ARS Province reiterated once again:
- Minors are not the age group that commits the most crimes, according to statistics.
- Minors are not primarily responsible for the insecurity that concerns society.
- Most adolescents in conflict with the law come from contexts of poverty, exclusion, violence and abandonment, where the State and society have arrived, and continue to arrive, too late.
‘From our educational experience, we know that children and young people are not dangerous; they are in danger and, rather than punishment, they need real opportunities,’ say the Salesians. Therefore, to the extent of their possibilities, the Salesians are committed to:
Continuing to accompany boys and girls so that they have an education that supports, guides and prepares them for the future. Continuing to accompany boys and girls to guarantee access to socio-educational community spaces that offer a sense of belonging and allow them to express themselves and relate to others in positive ways. Continuing to accompany boys and girls so that they have places for the arts, crafts, sports and leisure. To continue accompanying boys and girls as communities of adults who are at their side to listen, care for and support their growth processes.
‘We are convinced that boys and girls do not need to be placed in prisons or institutions where violence is reproduced and they learn to commit crimes,’ they add.
Lowering the age of criminal responsibility does not solve the underlying problem, it only extends punishment where care was previously lacking.
‘Now, following the approval of the new Juvenile Criminal Justice System, the Salesians of ARN have reiterated their call for reflection focused on prevention and the dignity of each person. Crime is a reality that causes pain and demands responses that transcend media impact and any form of sectoral opportunism. The data indicate that the participation of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 in criminal proceedings is very low (0.42%).’
Thus, the Salesians believe that lowering the age of criminal responsibility does not solve the problem, but rather deepens violence and recidivism. The Salesian contribution begins with the Preventive System, Don Bosco's legacy, a pedagogical model that is still in use today, recognised and adopted by numerous educators and families, who have accompanied and supported the growth of thousands of children, adolescents and young people (CAYPs).
This practice consists of two inseparable dimensions:
- the satisfaction of the basic needs of CAYPs, such as food, shelter, safety and health.
- a systematic and comprehensive educational action that accompanies the social, moral and religious formation of individuals, helping them to discover the meaning of life.
‘We understand prevention not as a control measure, but as the art of positive education, where, with accompaniment, individuals develop their freedom and responsibility,’ they clarify. The figure of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, inspires pastoral action that does not abandon those who are most vulnerable. This perspective requires us to move from a ‘throwaway culture’ (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 53), which sees children and young people as a threat, to a culture of care that recognises them, dignifies them and looks at them with the hope of transformation.
‘Everyone, the State and society – each according to their responsibility – must guarantee a framework that includes, respects, educates and repairs lives, prioritising public policies for integral human development over mere punishment, because, as Pope Francis said, “no one is saved alone”.’
In Salesian works, this vision is realised on a daily basis in schools, training centres and shelters that become families and protective communities. That is why, the Salesians of ARN conclude, ‘we are redoubling our commitment to accompany adolescents and young people who are currently in conflict with the law, because as our Father Don Bosco said: “Who knows if, with a friend, they would not have ended up in prison”.’
