Chile protesters demand justice minister quit over reduced abuse sentences

Hundreds of women protested outside Chile's presidential palace in Santiago on Tuesday to demand the resignation of Justice Minister Fernando Rabat, after at least 56 people convicted of child sexual abuse and rape had their sentences reduced.

About 500 women joined the demonstration, according to an AFP account published by Yahoo News Singapore. Many wore purple scarves, sang feminist chants and danced in front of the residence of President Jose Antonio Kast, a hard-right leader eight months into his term.

The abusers "have to go back (to prison), they have to be separated from society as a whole," said Carmen Soto, a 42-year-old cook, who held a placard calling on Rabat to step down. "I'm really angry because all of us at some point have gone through some form of abuse," she said.

Aurora Gonzalez, a 47-year-old administrator, tied the sentencing dispute to wider grievances. "They're cutting funds for health care, they're cutting funds everywhere, which is already serious, but this is like the cherry on top," she said.

The reduced terms became public two weeks ago when the Chilean outlet Interferencia reported that a group of convicted rapists and other sexual offenders would serve shorter sentences.

Rabat has said he was following a Supreme Court guideline and could not refuse to apply the reductions. Kast has said the state "failed" the victims.

Pollster Cadem put the president's approval rating at 26 percent, a new low since he took office, after the revelations.

Opposition parties said they will request an impeachment trial against Rabat in Congress. It would be the first such move against a minister appointed by Kast.

Rabat drew criticism earlier over his career as a lawyer, during which he defended former dictator Augusto Pinochet in a case alleging embezzlement of public funds. The case was closed after Pinochet's death.