In a significant legislative move, lawmakers approved a proposal on Friday that intensifies prison sentences for the abandonment of elderly individuals, particularly when such neglect leads to the death of the affected person.

The proposed reform stipulates that individuals found guilty of such neglect, which results in the death of an elderly person, could face imprisonment of 12 to 18 years.

The existing penalties range from six to ten years.

Further provisions of the law indicate that individuals who abandon an elderly person in a state of vulnerability while being responsible for their care will face imprisonment ranging from one to three years.

Should the abandonment endanger the elderly person's life, physical, mental, or social health, the penalty would be between one and four years.

If serious damage occurs to the body or health of the elderly individual as a result of abandonment, offenders may face a penalty of three to six years in prison.

This latter provision maintains the same penal sanction as under current law.

This legislative initiative, known as file number 24244, amends Article 142 bis of the Penal Code, which outlines penalties related to the abandonment of elderly persons and specifies circumstances that would aggravate such penalties.

The initiative received unanimous support from 42 legislators but is set to return to preliminary discussions for amendments based on recommendations from the Public Ministry.

Lawmakers Priscilla Vindas from the Frente Amplio and Fabricio Alvarado from the Partido Nueva República, the latter being the proponent of the legislation, announced the next steps in the legislative process.

Alvarado mentioned that the reform has been in the works for over eight years, adding that a previous proposal by former legislator Yorleny León had nullified criminal sanctions related to this issue.