The controversial clash between Kicillof and Bullrich over the criminal responsibility of minors after the Monzón crime

The murder of teenager Jeremías Monzón reignited one of the most heated debates on Argentina’s political agenda: the age of criminal responsibility for minors. Former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof took opposing stances on whether lowering the age of criminal responsibility would solve the country’s youth crime problems.

A Crime That Shook Santa Fe and Reopened the Legislative Debate

Jeremías Monzón, just 15 years old, was murdered at the end of 2025 in Santa Fe under circumstances that shocked the nation. The young boy was repeatedly stabbed by three teenagers near the Colón club stadium. What amplified the tragedy was that his attackers recorded the crime on video, which was later leaked on social media, exposing the extreme violence of the attack.

According to investigation data, the main accused is identified as M.A., 16 years old, who was the victim’s girlfriend. She was accompanied by two other youths aged 14 and 15. In the video they recorded during the incident, they demanded that Monzón reveal the names of people with whom he allegedly shared recordings of an “intimate party” of the group. This dissemination reportedly upset the girlfriend, who had organized the gathering that ended in tragedy.

The young woman accused of instigating the murder is detained in a juvenile detention center in Rosario. However, the other two teenagers remain free under their parents’ custody, as their age still makes them legally non-responsible under current legislation. This legal gap fueled demands from sectors calling for changes to the juvenile criminal responsibility regime.

Protests and Calls for Legal Changes

The communities of Santa Fe and Santo Tomé mobilized to demand justice. Protesters also sought to pressure Congress to open a debate on amending the law governing juvenile responsibility in serious crimes. Monzón’s family’s lawyer filed a complaint over the leak of the crime videos, amid growing calls for legislative reform.

The Political Escalation: Kicillof vs. Bullrich

In this context, Buenos Aires Security Minister Javier Alonso wrote an article arguing that changing the age of criminal responsibility “doesn’t solve anything by itself.” Governor Kicillof shared the piece on his social media with a message stating that, although “a new Juvenile Criminal Responsibility Regime is needed,” lowering the age of responsibility wouldn’t address the “root problems.” Kicillof emphasized that “there are no magic solutions” and that an “integrated effort among the three branches of government, serious work, and planning” are required.

Patricia Bullrich responded sharply. The senator, who recently appeared alongside Monzón’s family, retorted to the governor: “I can’t believe I’m reading this. It’s clear he doesn’t care about security or victims. Always on the side of criminals.”

Bullrich went further and directly questioned Kicillof: “Will he dare to tell the families who lost a child at the hands of a minor that we shouldn’t change the age of criminal responsibility and that he doesn’t mind that they are at home, free and without consequences?” She also urged him: “If he’s so convinced of what he says, enable comments and read what Argentinians are saying.”

During the Monzón case, Bullrich used social media to link the crime to the need for reforming the law. She pointed out that the young boy “was tortured and murdered by minors who recorded themselves doing it” and denounced that “today two of them are free.” She also argued that “the Juvenile Criminal Law was stalled in the old Congress because some chose not to advance it.”

The Legislative Agenda and Uncertainty Over Approval

Recently, the government included a bill to reform the Juvenile Criminal Code and lower the age of criminal responsibility in the agenda of extraordinary sessions in February. Currently, the age of responsibility is set at 16. However, its approval is not guaranteed. The blocs allied with La Libertad Avanza and others that usually cooperate have expressed reservations about the initiative.

The clash between Bullrich and Kicillof reflects the deep tensions within Argentina’s juvenile criminal justice system. While Bullrich advocates for tougher laws to hold minors accountable for serious crimes, Kicillof and his team argue that solutions require more complex structural changes that go beyond just adjusting the age of responsibility. The case of Jeremías Monzón will continue to be the focal point of this heated debate on how the country should respond to crimes committed by youth.