Multidimensional study on early criminalisation in the Ecuadorian criminal justice system and its social and legal consequences [Estudio multidimensional sobre criminalización precoz en el sistema penal ecuatoriano y consecuencias sociales – jurídicas]

Abstract

The objective of this article was to conduct a multidimensional analysis of early criminalisation in the Ecuadorian criminal justice system, examining its conceptual foundations, determining factors, and socio-legal consequences in order to propose comprehensive intervention alternatives. The research adopted a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical scope, using documentary analysis as the main strategy, complemented by historical-logical and analytical methods. The results show that early criminalisation is a multifactorial phenomenon that reflects structural flaws in the social protection system. Determining factors include poverty, social exclusion and recruitment by criminal organisations such as Los Choneros. Specific manifestations include cases such as Isaac ‘La Pequeña’ and ‘assassin schools’. The consequences include the violation of fundamental rights, judicial overload and the perpetuation of cycles of violence, concentrated in marginal urban areas of Guayas, Pichincha and Manabí.