El Salvador hands down its first life sentence for the rape of a girl, according to the Attorney General's Office
Summary
According to the Attorney General's Office (FGR), a court sentenced a man to life in prison after finding him guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl in the east of the country between February and June 2026. The FGR said it is the first case tried in the country under the reform that sets life imprisonment for sex crimes. According to the prosecutors' investigation, the convicted man contacted the victim through social media and took advantage of the age difference to manipulate her. The reform is part of the package of criminal law changes the Legislative Assembly approved in March, after a constitutional amendment allowing that penalty was ratified.
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