Delincuencia sexual y populismo penal en Colombia. Sexual delinquency and penal populism in Colombia

Actualmente hay un uso recurrente del Derecho Penal como instrumento estatal para enfrentarconflictos sociales variados. Modificaciones legislativas son hechas sin consideración a su necesidady eficacia y se busca satisfacer intereses particulares, no la solución de conflictos sociales.Un actor de primer orden, aunque no el único, en el uso excesivo del Derecho Penal está constituidopor los políticos, que, en busca de prestigio político con fines electorales, continuamenteformulan propuestas de reforma legal que aumentan el campo de acción del Derecho Penal. Esteaumento genera consecuencias negativas como sobrecarga de trabajo y un mayor desprestigio auna ya congestionada y bastante desacreditada justicia penal. Esta tendencia, denominada populismopenal, será estudiada en relación con su existencia en Colombia y la delincuencia sexual.Palabras clave: Política penal, transformaciones del Derecho Penal, justicia penal, populismopenal, delincuencia sexual.AbstractNowadays there is an overuse of criminal law as a state mechanism to confront social conflicts ofdiverse nature. Changes on legislation are being made without taking into account its necessityand efficacy and such reforms mean to satisfy particular interests and not to resolve social conflicts.Politicians are main actors in this growing process, although not the only ones, who inseek of political prestige in order to obtain electoral benefits continuously propose legal modificationsthat are broadening the social area subject to criminal law. This overuse of criminal lawhas negative consequences such as more work overload to a currently overburdened system andan increase in the bad reputation of at the present discredited branch of justice. This legislativetendency, named as penal populism, will be studied in regard to its existence in Colombia andsexual delinquency.