Peruvian political party Juntos por el Perú suspended lawmaker Julián Pérez after a police commissioner reported seeing him hit his ex-partner inside a police station.
The victim had gone to the police station to file a complaint against Pérez for psychological violence when the commissioner witnessed the physical assault. Juntos por el Perú initially stated it would evaluate potential sanctions, but changed its position five days later to announce his suspension following public pressure.
Critics stated the incident highlights a persistent pattern in the Congress of the Republic of Peru and among political parties, where colleagues close ranks to protect members accused of gender-based violence.
Conviction of Leoncio Torres Ccalla
The protection of accused lawmakers builds on previous cases in the Peruvian legislature. Former Perú Posible congressman Leoncio Torres Ccalla became the first Peruvian lawmaker convicted of sexual assault following a lengthy court battle over the attempted rape of a 16-year-old minor brought from the southern region of Puno to work in his office.
Courts initially sentenced Torres Ccalla to eight years in prison before reducing the penalty to six years months later. Congress originally opted to suspend him for 120 days instead of stripping his parliamentary immunity as required, only lifting his protection when requested by the judicial branch.
The Freddy Díaz Case
In another case, Congress shielded lawmaker Freddy Díaz throughout the second half of 2022 after he drugged and raped a worker in his office. Congress disqualified Díaz from holding public office for ten years in January 2023.
The Peruvian judiciary sentenced Díaz to 13 years in prison, later raising the sentence to 20 years after a 2024 judicial ruling confirmed the details of the assault.
Definition of Power Crimes
Following the case against Díaz, defense lawyer José Ugaz coined the term crime of power to describe how officials use their authority. The concept refers to legislators using congressional power and corporate cover-up by colleagues as a defense against prosecution for sexual assault and violence against women.
Journalist and press consultant Mabel Barreto Quineche highlighted the precedent cases in an analysis for Las Tejedoras, a collective of Peruvian women from diverse backgrounds, political tendencies, and regions working to promote open dialogue and defend democratic institutions against corruption and authoritarianism. Barreto stated that using official power to avoid punishment for crimes turns political office into a shield against justice.
