Child molesters to be executed

The Governor of the US state of Oklahoma has signed a bill allowing for the execution of repeat child molesters, a move that some critics argue is unconstitutional. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that the death penalty can only be applied in murder cases, but the author of the Oklahoma bill said it is time to challenge that ruling. "Predators with multiple convictions for child molestation have proven they will continue to prey on Oklahoma's children until they are stopped," state senator Jay Gumm said in a statement. "The crime of child molestation ripples throughout the life of a child, robbing them of their innocence and sense of safety," the Democrat added. "We need to send the message as a state, that if you repeatedly prey on our children we will find you, prosecute you, convict you and execute you."

The Oklahoma law makes people convicted of rape and other sex crimes more than once against children younger than 14 years of age eligible for execution. Oklahoma is the fifth state to allow the death penalty for sex crimes against children. [...] "Jessie's Law is about sending a very clear message that there are some lines you do not cross," Sanford said. [...]

Some critics warned that making child molesting a capital offence could further endanger children. "There's an incentive not to leave the victim alive," warned Colin Garrett, the Death Penalty Resource Counsel for the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers. Another concern is that the severity of the punishment will prevent some victims - or their families - from reporting the abuse because most children are molested by family members, he added.

There are 38 US states which currently allow for the death penalty and 1,026 people have been executed since it was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre. More than 120 people in the United States have been released from death row since 1973 because evidence surfaced of their innocence.

source: Article 'Child molesters to be executed'; www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19433001-1702,00.html; NEWS.com.au (Reuters); 10 June 2006