El Salvador may extend detention of alleged gang members until 2027
SAN SALVADOR - Suspected gang members imprisoned under a sweeping Salvadoran state of emergency imposed since March 2022 could be held for another two years without trial under action taken by a congressional security committee on Thursday.
The changes to the Central American country's Law Against Organized Crime aim to give prosecutors until August 2027 to build cases against those detained since then.
Lawmakers from the ruling party majority who voted to advance the measure said it was necessary to gather evidence and streamline legal proceedings against alleged gang members and prevent detainees from being released.
The proposal, introduced 10 days before a previous two-year deadline was set to expire, still requires a vote by the full legislature, which like the commission is controlled by the ruling party and very likely to pass the proposal.
"This committee will continue working to combat crime and the gangs, ensuring these terrorist groups never return to our streets," said Caleb Navarro, a lawmaker from the ruling Nuevas Ideas party.
Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado called the measure advanced on Thursday a "very important" tool, enabling the country's 44 organized crime judges to process roughly 600 collective cases involving the 88,750 people arrested.
In July 2023, El Salvador's Congress approved group trials for the tens of thousands of people arrested during President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on criminal gangs, which has given the country one of the world's highest incarceration rates.
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Opposition politicians and rights groups said group trials risked depriving detainees of their right to due process and their individual presumption of innocence. REUTERS
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CCPS provided safety planning and marital counselling, and referred her to Daughters Of Tomorrow, a charity for underprivileged women, for job placement. Mr Marcus Lim, head of Touch Family Support at Touch Community Services, said some victims are unsure what constitutes abuse. Its social workers usually discover the abuse when handling the client's other issues. One time, a woman said she was worried about her husband's reaction to her finding work. The man often threatened to harm her, and tracked her whereabouts for fear of her interacting with other men. Mr Lim said: '(The woman) didn't get help because he never actually hit her, so she didn't consider it violence.' Emotional abuse can evolve into physical abuse, like in Madam Anna's case. When she confided in her husband about previously being sexually assaulted by a relative, he made derogatory remarks about her. He punched her face while she was pregnant, and blamed her when their children fell sick. She said: 'He made me believe I was not a good mother.' Police officers referred her to CCPS, where she filed a PPO. Underreported cases Mr Lim believes cases are underreported because many may not be aware of the expanded definition or still associate family violence only with visible injuries. He added: 'More education and cultural change are crucial for survivors to feel seen, believed, and safe to come forward earlier.' Mr Mohamed Baiross, managing partner at IRB Law, said victims have secured PPOs based solely on psychological abuse or repeated verbal degradation. But, he said, it is challenging to obtain enough proof in these cases and advised clients to document such abuse. Head lawyer Gloria James-Civetta of Gloria James-Civetta & Co said some clients look for psychiatrists and obtain specialist reports to show they have suffered from gaslighting and narcissistic behaviour. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that causes victims to question the validity of their own thoughts or memories. To grant a PPO, the court must be satisfied family violence has been committed or is likely to be committed against the victim. It must determine the PPO is necessary for the victim's protection or personal safety. In the first quarter of 2025, 34 per cent of PPO applications filed were granted. The success rate was 45 per cent and 46 per cent in 2024 and 2023, respectively. A Ministry of Social and Family Development spokeswoman said victim-survivors can file a PPO application at any protection specialist centre (PSC), or at the FJC. The four PSCs in Singapore are Trans Safe Centre in Bedok, Pave Integrated Services for Individual and Family in Ang Mo Kio and Yishun, and CCPS in Commonwealth. An application can be made online before visiting a PSC or the FJC to complete it. The spokeswoman added that the ministry also supports victim-survivors through family service centres, which provide both practical and emotional support. She said the court may order parties and their family members to attend a mandatory counselling programme offered by social service agencies. After CCPS assisted Madam Anna with her PPO application, she was assured of her family's safety. She said: 'I started to confidently share (my story). I don't need to hide or be scared of anything.'
