Spanish
Santo Domingo.- Following the enactment of Law 75-25, which introduces the new Penal Code of the Dominican Republic, several citizens consulted on the streets of Santo Domingo expressed general unawareness of the content of the new regulations, as well as divided opinions regarding the process by which it was approved.
The law was enacted by President Luis Abinader on August 3, 2025, after being approved by the National Congress. The reform replaces the old penal code in force since 1884 and covers new classifications and sanctions in criminal matters.
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However, several interviewees said they were not informed beyond the most media-covered issues, such as abortion and violence. "Yes, I heard it was approved, but I don't really know what it includes. I've only heard about the three grounds," commented a citizen. "I think it's good that something new has been approved, but I'm not sure what changed or how it affects us." Alejandro, another interviewee, highlighted the lack of effective communication between those responsible for the law and the general population: "I understand that it was very polarized. Many organizations focused on what interested them. But of so many articles that the code has, the people (to whom it applies) do not know what else it contains." "I didn't know any councilor or authority who told me: 'these are the points.' What was understood was that everything revolved around the three causes or the issues of violence. But there are more things that should have been communicated to the public." Other citizens expressed themselves in more critical terms about the content: "This code, in truth, has parts that are not very clear, and there are parts that only benefit a few," Miguel affirmed. There were also questions about the legislative process: "It has many voids. That is patched up and was not worked on properly. It was not explained well to the people," said Juan Carlos. Law 75-25 introduces crimes such as contract killing, expands sanctions against corruption, and establishes new forms of penalization in areas such as organized crime, harassment, and violence against women. However, the absence of certain issues (such as the decriminalization of abortion in specific cases) has generated wide debate.
