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Mother of murdered Argentine teenager backs Argentina's lower age of criminal responsibility
BUENOS AIRES — The mother of Jeremías Monzón, a 15-year-old Argentine boy who was killed with 23 stab wounds in Santa Fe province, has expressed support for a new juvenile criminal regime that lowers the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 14, according to International Consultant Javier Miglino Helfenstein of the World Organization Bullying Without Borders (Organización Mundial Bullying Sin Fronteras).
The case has drawn attention to Argentina's debate over juvenile crime after one of the minors accused of participating in Monzón's killing was 14 at the time of the crime and was later ruled not subject to criminal prosecution because the new legislation was not yet in force and is not retroactive.
Monzón, who lived in Santo Tomé, Santa Fe, disappeared on Dec. 18, 2025. His body was found four days later in an abandoned building in the southern part of Santa Fe city. An autopsy found 23 stab wounds.
Investigators accused three minors of involvement in the killing. A 16-year-old girl was detained and charged in connection with the homicide, while two other suspects were 14 at the time of the attack. One of the two was subsequently acquitted because of his age.
The case is classified as aggravated homicide involving alleged treachery, cruelty and the premeditated participation of two or more people, according to judicial reports. The 16-year-old defendant remains in juvenile custody, while an adult woman has also been charged in connection with the case.
Argentine media reported that investigators believe the attack was recorded. The circumstances surrounding the recording and its dissemination remain part of the investigation.
The case has become part of the broader national discussion over Argentina's juvenile justice system and the treatment of serious crimes committed by minors.
The World Organization Bullying Without Borders, through Miglino Helfenstein, said Monzón's mother supports the new legislation because two of the minors allegedly involved in her son's death were 14 at the time of the crime.
The new juvenile regime, approved by Congress in February 2026, is scheduled to apply prospectively and was not applicable to crimes committed before its entry into force.
World Organization Bullying Whitout Borders
