Military service: sergeants accuse Government of “senseless” ideas

A National Association of Sergeants disagrees with the idea of ​​the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Internal Administration of moving forward with military service as an alternative sentence for young people who commit minor crimes. Regarding Renaissance, António Lima Coelho says it is a “pilgrim” idea.

“The Armed Forces are not a correctional institution, nor a social reintegration institution. Not long ago, to join the Armed Forces it was necessary to have an absolutely clean criminal record”, he argues.

António Lima Coelho considers the intention to be a “pilgrim idea that doesn’t make any sense”.

“This idea reminds me a little of Mr. Putin’s idea, when he picked up prisoners from prisons, to send them to the front”, he accuses.

Military service as an alternative sentence for young people

The Minister of Defense, Nuno Melo, defended last week that the Military service can be an alternative for young people who have committed “petty crimes” instead of being placed in institutions.

“How many of these young people who, instead of being institutionalized without any conditions, could carry out military service, have the opportunity to exercise training, authority, values, could not later be much better citizens and they simply were not given this opportunity?” he asked.

The Minister of Internal Administration, Margarida Blasco, agreed, this Monday, with Nuno Melo’s idea.