Serbia to introduce irrevocable life imprisonment for worst rapists and murderers

As of today, Serbia provides for a life sentence without the possibility of mercy for some crimes. The country does not mind the concern of the European Union and the Council of Europe.

From now on, in Serbian criminal law, lifelong replaces the maximum sentence of forty years of imprisonment, that pronounce by the courts in the Balkan. The general rule is that life-long prisoners can see their case reviewed after 27 years, but this will no longer apply in the case of the rape and murder of children, pregnant women and the helpless.

The new law also provides for lifelong, but with the possibility of grace after 27 years, for crimes such as genocide and other war crimes, political murders, organized crime, and the danger of jeopardizing the constitutional order and security. It used to hold up to 40 years in prison.

Criticism

The revision of the law can be criticized at home and abroad, including by the European Commission and the Council of Europe. European legislation provides that lifelong learning should also allow for a review of the sentence after a certain period of time.

According to AP News Agency, the new law came about as a result of a petition launched by a father whose teenage daughter was raped and murdered in 2014.