Crimes against the person include attacks on life, physical integrity, freedom and honor, including murder, assault, threats, kidnapping and causing bodily harm. They aim to protect fundamental rights by punishing conduct that directly affects human dignity and security.
It is undeniable that law establishes specific provisions on punishment for those who attack the physical, emotional or psychological integrity of another person. Crimes against the person, such as murder, assault, rape, among others, are carefully classified and accompanied by appropriate penalties in our legal system.
The intention is to protect the safety and well-being of citizens, contributing to the creation of an environment of just and harmonious coexistence.
Crimes against the person are among the most serious crimes, often involving complex legal procedures. When these cases extend across international borders, consulting with interpol lawyers is crucial to managing Red Notices and ensuring effective navigation of the global legal framework to protect rights and achieve justice.
What are crimes against the person?
Crimes against the person are crimes that cause harm, violence or a threat to the physical or psychological integrity of a person and can be divided into several categories, let’s take a look:
Crimes involving bodily harm
Crimes involving bodily harm include crimes that cause harm to the physical body or health of the victim, which may cause temporary or permanent consequences. In the Criminal Code, these crimes are classified into different categories, such as minor, serious, very serious bodily harm and death.
Minor bodily harm occurs when the effects are superficial and do not have significant consequences, with a prison sentence of three months to one year.
Serious bodily harm includes more serious situations, such as incapacity for work for more than 30 days, permanent weakness of a limb or function, danger to life or accelerated birth of a child, with a sentence of imprisonment of one to five years.
Very serious injury leads to more serious consequences, such as permanent incapacity for work, incurable illness, loss or disuse of a limb, meaning or function, irreversible deformity and abortion, which can lead to imprisonment of two to eight years.
If the aggression resulted in the death of the victim, the crime can be classified as bodily harm resulting in death, with a sentence of imprisonment of four to twelve years. For this crime to be considered, it must be clear that the perpetrator did not want death and did not take the risk of causing it.
In addition, there is a privileged modality that arises when the aggression has a relevant social or moral motivation, such as protecting a child from an abuser. The penalties applied vary depending on the seriousness of the case and can lead to imprisonment for a period of three months to 12 years, depending on the specific circumstances of each incident.
Crimes that threaten life and health
Crimes against the person include crimes involving a threat to life and health, which consist of actions that endanger the life and well-being of people.
These crimes include abandoning people who are incapacitated, failing to provide necessary assistance, cruel treatment and situations of risk of infection with venereal or other serious diseases. Each type of crime has different characteristics and degrees of severity, which are reflected in the penalties provided.
For example, cases of venereal disease can result in detention for 3 months to 1 year. In contrast, anyone who abandons an incapacitated person can be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison, highlighting the diversity of penalties that apply to each specific offense.
These measures are aimed at protecting the life and health of citizens, aimed at stopping harmful practices and promoting the safety and well-being of society as a whole. See also: What are my rights after serving a sentence or probation?
Crimes against personal liberty
Crimes against personal liberty occur when another person interferes with someone's freedom of will and liberty, and are divided into different categories. These include crimes against personal liberty such as threats, unlawful deprivation of liberty, keeping people in conditions similar to slavery, kidnapping, and unlawful deprivation of liberty.
In addition, there are crimes such as trespassing, as well as violation of correspondence and personal or professional secrecy. The punishment imposed depends on the severity of the case and the specific qualification of the crime committed. For example, in cases of kidnapping, the punishment can reach eight years of imprisonment.
