[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

March 20


SRI LANKA:

Should death be the penalty for rape, child abuse and drug trafficking?


Capital punishment is a controversial topic all around the world. Many
countries actively carry out the death sentence for murder while some
countries including Sri Lanka pass the sentence which is automatically
commuted to life imprisonment.

However, there are some countries which impose the death penalty for other
offences as well. The recent execution of 4 Sri Lankans in Saudi Arabia
was emotionally challenging for most Lankans.

The Saudi authorities stated that they were beheaded for violent armed
robbery, which is punishable with death under their law. The same
punishment is given for those convicted of rape.

Several other countries including Singapore and Malaysia condemn to death
those who deal in drugs, readily recognised as a harbinger of death to
those who use them. There have been several executions of natives and
foreigners who were found guilty of trafficking drugs, which some analysts
say have acted as a deterrent to prospective traffickers.

Child abuse, the physical and sexual exploitation of children, is another
serious offence which attracts severe penalties in most countries. All
these crimes are on the rise in Sri Lanka. There have been several
gruesome instances of mob justice where the alleged offenders were
summarily beaten to death by villagers, relatives and vigilante groups,
perhaps symbolising the simmering frustration with the legal system.

There is a widespread belief that the big offenders are rarely caught and
even if they are, a few years' in jail is the maximum punishment. In this
context, there is a school of thought that in case the gallows are
re-activated, the noose should find not only murderers, but also drug
traffickers, rapists and paedophiles.

Their argument is that while a murderer may take a life or 2, the latter
could destroy an entire generation, the entire society. The emotional
scars left behind by their selfish acts are hard to efface even in a
lifetime.

Given the grave nature of these offences, one is justified in questioning
whether it is fair to let the perpetrators of these crimes get away with a
mere term of imprisonment while they have caused irreparable damage to the
lives of their victims.

Have your free say on the above issues on Daily News Debate. Our topic for
the coming months is 'Should death be the penalty for rape, child abuse
and drug trafficking?'.

Send in your views in 750-1,000 words) to 'Daily News Debate', Daily News,
Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, PO Box 1217, Colombo, or via
e-mail to debate at dailynews.lk before March 31, 2007.

(source: Sri Lanka Daily News)