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Proposal to Increase Penalties for Firearm Possession in Catalonia

The Department of the Interior is requesting prison sentences of up to five years due to a rise in firearm incidents.

Generic image of a firearm with a Barcelona street in the background.
IA

Generic image of a firearm with a Barcelona street in the background.

The Department of the Interior of the Generalitat de Catalunya has proposed tougher prison sentences for unlicensed firearm possession, raising them to a maximum of five years amid a rise in registered incidents.

The Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya has announced its intention to toughen the penalties stipulated in the Penal Code for the possession of firearms without the corresponding license. The proposal aims to increase the current prison sentence, which stands at two years, to a maximum of five years.
This measure comes in response to growing concern over gun violence in the city of Barcelona, following the death of a man from a gunshot wound last week. This incident is part of a trend of fatal shootings linked to organized crime that have occurred in the city in recent weeks.
The Director General of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Josep Lluís Trapero, has pointed out that current legislation is "lax" and that possessing firearms "comes quite cheaply" to offenders, as it "rarely leads to prison." Trapero argued that those who carry a firearm do so with the intent to harm, and this should carry a more severe criminal consequence, comparing the proposed penalties with those in other European countries such as Germany or Italy.
Concurrently, the Department of the Interior also seeks to increase penalties for large-scale marijuana cultivation and trafficking. The proposal suggests moving from the current range of 1 to 3 years in prison to one of 6 to 9 years. The aim is to classify marijuana as a public health problem affecting the community, rather than solely a drug with lesser individual harm compared to other substances.
The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, emphasized that the proposal aims to "deter with the best tools" the use of firearms by criminal organizations. The proposal is being developed in collaboration with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and will be presented to the Congress of Deputies for approval.
Data from the Department of the Interior indicate that from January to May, 247 incidents involving firearms were registered in Catalonia, a 7.8% decrease compared to the previous year. However, incidents involving real firearms, resulting in deaths, injuries, or the recovery of ammunition, have increased by 7% in the first quarter, with 48 cases.

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