Should Child Rapists Be Put To Death?

Question

There's a story on cnn.com right now...about a man in Lousiana who raped his 8 year old stepdaughter. He go put on death row and for the first time in 44 years, The state will execute a man for a felony other than murder.

I wanted to know your thoughts on... this. Soooo......

Should child rapists be put on death row to be executed? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Answer 1

I am against the legal murder of anyone by the government. 1) maybe the person is Innocent. 2) Capitol punishment is legal murder. 3) It costs more to execute someone than put them in prison, because there has to be appeals. 3) eye witness testimony is very unreliable. 4) even DNA evidence is not always conclusive. 5) Often police and the DA's office will coerce false testimony from witnesses.

I have a question, Is it true in England that a person is guilty unless found Innocent. You have the right to remain silent, but if you choose to remain silent , that can be used against you in a court of law?

Answer 2

YES!!!!

Answer 3

Yes they should.

This man/beast/sicko also physically damaged the child so severely that she had to have surgery to try and repair the physical damage. He nearly killed her and he did permanently destroy her emotionally.

People have had good reasons to go against the death penalty in all cases "in the past" and use the reason of "wrongful convictions" which are now being realized through new technology.

Point made.

New Technology.

This is not the past, therefore that reason is not valid in "most cases" If they are proven guilty now-a-days and their crime could be punished with the death penalty.... then so it should!

I say they should throw this POS, waste of a human being into general population in a supermax prison to experience some violations before he is fried!

Answer 4

I am not a Constitional scholar, however I do not believe that there is anything in the Constitution that states that the death penalty can only apply to murderers.  Also, the fact that the law does exist in Louisiana should tell you that the Supreme Court does not oppose it -- and other than the Constitution the SC is the only other authority on the matter.

As for my personal opinion, I do not oppose the death penalty for child molestors, as scientific studies have repeatedly proven that they will never end their behavior

<ADD>

I feel like a totally ignorant person now!!  I must amend my response from yesterday.  These are facts that I heard on the news this morning.  I had no idea any of them!!!

FACT:  The Supreme Court is to begin hearings on the Death Penalty for Child Rapists, uhhh today.  I have finally figured out why every single open forum and listserv is chattering about this topic.  I feel so stupid.

FACT:  The SC ruled in 1977 that the death penalty for raping an adult woman was unconstitutional.  I guess this is why today nobody gets sentenced to death for rape.  

FACT:  Before 1977, nine out of ten people sentenced to death for rape were black.  This heavily influenced the SC decision.

FACT:  No white man was ever sentenced to death for raping a black woman.  This also influenced the SC decision.

FACT:  In the case of Patrick Kennedy, the man who is on death row and whose case is the one on which the Supreme Court will be ruling -- he was sentenced to death for raping his 8 year old stepdaughter.  She originally stated that two boys randomly assaulted her.  Two years after the rape, she changed her story to implicate Kennedy.  The State of Louisiana told her that she would be returned to her mother if she testified against him, and otherwise placed in permanent foster care.  There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime.  The death penalty conviction was grounded solely on the testimony of a 10 yr old girl, who had changed her story two years later, and who was given ulterior motives for testifying.

FACT:  Victims' Rights advocates oppose the death penalty for child rapists.  4 out of 5 child rapes are committed by family members.  An unknown number of child victims have refused to testify against their father, step-father, uncle, or brother, knowing that if they are found guilty they will be put to death.

FACT:  In Louisiana, defendants are given a choice -- plead guilty and receive life in prison, or face the death penalty.  100% of all persons sentenced to death for raping a child received that sentence because they pled innocent and demanded a trial.

OPINION:  Now, I still feel the same way.  I do not oppose the Principle of death penalty for child rapists (although another responder had a good point -- execution is not the only way to get a perpetrator to stop; castration will also work...  whether or not castration is also cruel and unusual punishment, or even more cruel and more unusual than execution, is subject to debate).

***However***

Given these facts, I cannot for the life of me see how the Supreme Court will not and should not find the death penalty for child rapists unconstitutional.

Answer 5

I believe that if you rape someone...anyone...you should have your p***s removed without anesthesia. I don't think they should be executed because then they are not able to live a miserable life without their p***s. I also think if you steal you should have your hands cut off. If this country actually took punishment seriously like other countries, we would have a much lower crime rate.

Answer 6

yes or castrated

Answer 7

Yes. Period. We need to enforce harsh penalties on harsh crimes. Not only for justice sake, but also to set an example. I am aware that you have to be mentally unstable to commit rape (especially to a child), but that is no excuse. Anyone who can rape/murder someone is mentally ill. I would hope that with harsher penalties people would maybe think twice before committing such terrible acts. (Like the girls who beat the 16 yr old and filmed it..... if they get off with a fine, slap on the hand, and community service what example does that set??? NONE)

Answer 8

i think they should be brutally tortured first THEN put on death row-i think ppl would think twice before doing it then!!!

Answer 9

MOST DEFINATLY !!!!!!

Answer 10

yes and if they need a hangman i would be more then happy

Answer 11

Executed immediately!!!

Answer 12

No, don't execute him. Build a room 25feet under ground. No windows make it sound proof,  just a hole in the top for air, put him or her in this room and give a piece of bread every day with a glass of water. No lights no chairs no bed no toilet, never to have contact with a living person ever again. Let this person rot. I love people and life, but this person isn't even an animal.

Answer 13

if proven - yes

Answer 14

i thinks that suck to rapists a little girl he has a dirty word too say

Answer 15

h**l YEAH because if where my daughter i would wont justice to be served.rape is a violation of human right in witch no man nor woman should have the right to invade

Answer 16

No. The death penalty should be reserved for people who have taken a LIFE, not virginity.

Answer 17

sure  ...  cut off his naughty parts and let him bleed to death

Answer 18

Yep - I vote the chair.  Lethal Injection just doesn't send a strong enough message.

Answer 19

They should be kept away from children forever by any means necessary. If the death penalty is the only way to do that, then that's what should be done.

The most important thing to do is to shower that little girl with love and try to stop her suffering. If that little girl loses all of her childhood because of that scum, then he has already won and it's a loss for everything good in the world.  We can't let that happen.

Answer 20

Yes, but only if it is a repeated offence.

Answer 21

Dead or in jail for the rest of his life.  He can not be cured and anyone who rapes a child should !!!never!!! be freed to do it again.  I do however question when a 17 year old boy has consensual s*x with a 15 year old girl that it is considered statutory rape the same as a adult having s*x with a child.

Answer 22

Geez, I feel alone... you guys are a bit extreme, don't you think? Does it make any good to anyone if a criminal is executed?

I oppose capital punishment. depending on the circumstances, I would imprison the guy for a long time. We must give chance to people to regret their sins and become helpful for the society.

Answer 23

yes they should be but to death why should we pay for them to sit in our jails

Answer 24

yes defo and not have to wait so many yrs to do it, when they are convicted it should happen straight away.