June 22
MEXICO:
Mexican attorney general says death penalty should be considered for
kidnappers
Amid a national debate on crime in Mexico, Attorney General Rafael Macedo
de la Concha said Tuesday that the country should analyze whether to give
kidnappers the death penalty.
President Vicente Fox has said something must be done to halt the nation's
high kidnapping rate, but he has been a strong opponent of the death
penalty and life in prison.
Macedo said he conducted studies in the United States and Europe several
years ago in which he concluded that the death penalty does not
necessarily lead to lower crime rates. Nonetheless, he said the issue
should still be debated.
"They should study the topic of life in prison and the death penalty," he
said during a news conference Tuesday to announce the arrest of several
police officers for kidnapping.
"Although Mexico has demonstrated clearly that we do not support (those
punishments), when it comes to these types of questions, I think it is
worth analysis and study," he said.
Macedo added, however, that he couldn't personally express support for the
punishments.
Kidnappings have long been common in Mexico, spreading recently to even
the middle class and poor and causing a public outcry. A public march is
planned for Sunday in Mexico City to demonstrate citizen anger.
Macedo said officials planned to meet Friday to study national strategies
to combat crime.
Fox has said something must be done to make Mexico safer, but he is
unlikely to support the death penalty.
He argued that the United States violated the rights of 51 Mexicans on
death row by failing to inform them of their right to consult with their
government. He took the case to the International Court of Justice in The
Hague, Netherlands, which agreed and ordered Washington to review their
cases.
His administration has also refused to extradite anyone who might face the
death penalty or life in prison.
(source: San Diego Union-Tribune)
