Rubilar asks Kast to acknowledge a "grave error" over the sentence reductions and demands a public apology from Rabat

Former Minister and Secretary General of the Government Karla Rubilar on Saturday called on President José Antonio Kast to acknowledge the Executive's "grave error" regarding the reduction of 56 sentences for sexual offenses and human rights violations. "I believe it is indispensable for citizens today to hear from the President of the Republic (...) that he did not know, and that if he had known, this would never, ever have happened," she said at a press point. "I have tried to convey this with the greatest possible respect; I believe this was a very bad decision, it was a grave error, and that is why I have tried to convey to President Kast's government — the government I voted for — that I believe when one makes a mistake, the best thing is to acknowledge it early," she added. Rubilar also stated that acknowledging the error "also means that one can take certain measures, correct course, explain things to the citizens, and also think of the victims who are watching this with pain." The former government spokesperson considers Kast's statement "indispensable," beyond the president's shielding of Justice Minister Fernando Rabat, who has been the focus of criticism for his handling of this matter. Along the same lines, the former secretary of State pointed out that the justice minister "should at least offer a public apology." "Minister Rabat must offer a public apology, because remember that behind this decision there are families for whom it was extremely difficult to obtain these convictions; there is heartbreaking pain, and today there is uncertainty — they don't know whether the perpetrator of the crimes against their children is free, they don't know whether he could commit this crime again or harm another person. And when there is so much pain involved, I believe that at the very least one must acknowledge having made a mistake," she said. Likewise, Rubilar spoke out against administrative sentence reductions. "What is appropriate in these cases is for the Judicial Branch to determine them case by case," she said.