Death Penalty for Molesters?

[Ceicei]

What is your opinion of this House bill that passed in South Carolina? I believe it has to pass the SC Senate too before becoming law with the Governor's signature. I thought this subject would be good for discussion.

S.C. bills OK death for repeat molesters

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House on Wednesday passed a pair of bills that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for some repeat child molesters.
Support for the package picked up steam after a man was charged with kidnapping two girls and raping them in a dungeon behind his home earlier this year.
The related measures could send to death row offenders convicted twice of raping a child younger than 11.

http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635212021,00.html

- Ceicei

 

[MA-Caver]

What is your opinion of this House bill that passed in South Carolina? I believe it has to pass the SC Senate too before becoming law with the Governor's signature. I thought this subject would be good for discussion.


http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635212021,00.html

- Ceicei

IMO, too lenient. I think they need to be castrated by a rusty hatchet then the wound cauterized with a blowtorch ... THEN given the death penalty... death by hanging them by their archilles tendons upside down, handcuffed from behind and parental beatings with two by fours and/or one by fours (some moms have small hands) studded with rusty nails.


But that's just me.

But this needs to be done since (repeat) molesters of children (of any age) don't seem to be deterred by prison time (or supposed fellow cons beating on them) because they go right back out and find some other hapless child to get their jollies on. It's obvious (to me anyway) that they haven't learned their lesson(s).
If knowing that the next time they get caught they'll face a death penalty it just might deter them. Then again it might not, they'll just simply move out of state and do their perversions elsewhere, spreading their sickness.

But some shark-- err lawyer will find a loophole to save his client, or some anti-death-penalty advocates will protest to have the bill thrown out. Either way my faith in our judicial system isn't strong enough to (really) stand up and cheer for this type of legistation on the basis that such penalties aren't always carried out or taken too damn long to execute (pun intended). A creep like that shouldn't have to spend the next 10-15 years on death row with nights full of reminiscing about the last child they had. They need to be sleepless knowing that within a month or two they're going to die.
Repeat rapists of adult women should be placed on death row as well. They're not doing any one any great service either. :angry:

 

[mantis]

What is your opinion of this House bill that passed in South Carolina? I believe it has to pass the SC Senate too before becoming law with the Governor's signature. I thought this subject would be good for discussion.


http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635212021,00.html

- Ceicei

The issue is more complex than that and obviously has lots of details. But to some extent I do agree with killing molestors and sometimes rapers too. Wiat, rapers isnt a word, is it? rapists I mean... that's just my opinion though (some of you going thank God he's not president)

 

[Makalakumu]

I've dealt with 15 year olds who are repeat "child" molesters. Care to bring your rusty hatchets over here? I thought not. If you look one of these kids in the eye, you realize that they are human. Sick, but human.

 

[matt.m]

Dude,

I am a big advocator that if someone commits a crime such as that they should have the same done to them. I'm sorry, I don't care how old someone is. Wrong is wrong.

 

[mantis]

Dude,

I am a big advocator that if someone commits a crime such as that they should have the same done to them. I'm sorry, I don't care how old someone is. Wrong is wrong.

yeah there you go. an eye for an eye, right?
maybe not the same exact punishment because it will never be the same, but something equal in impact. i usually find death penalty suitable for a married person who rapes someone, or an adult that rapes a teen or a child, or a parent that rapes his/her kids. Stoning is a good option.. in public too so no one does it again!

 

[mantis]

I've dealt with 15 year olds who are repeat "child" molesters. Care to bring your rusty hatchets over here? I thought not. If you look one of these kids in the eye, you realize that they are human. Sick, but human.

I never said they're not human. Being sentenced to death doesnt make you less human. But leaving those alive, or at least free causes more harm to the society that exceeds the harm imposed on them, individuals. When you look at an issue like that you have to go with the public interest vs. the individual interest.

 

[MA-Caver]

I've dealt with 15 year olds who are repeat "child" molesters. Care to bring your rusty hatchets over here? I thought not. If you look one of these kids in the eye, you realize that they are human. Sick, but human.

Yes, I agree... but what do they grow up as? If they can be reformed before they become to legal age of adulthood and such then fine. I've interned at a sexual abuse treatment center and worked with the offenders instead of the victims, the center treated both, and many of the men went through a long hard process to be declared reformed. The center boasted of a 95% success rate.
Still... how many lives were destroyed and how many lives will be destroyed if these 15 yr. olds don't get the intensive psycho-therapy that they need before finding their next victim?

Admittedly I expressed the extreme in the desired mode of punishment... but we're talking about adults here. I would like to believe that there is hope for these young men if they get the right help. But if it doesn't help/work... then instead of looking at these 15 yr. olds in the eye try looking in the eyes of a 4 to 11 yr old little girl (sometimes boy) in the eyes and telling her that (their) innocence won't ever be restored.

If it's all the same to you (respectfully) I'll side with the victims.

 

[Beowulf]

I once signed a petition in front of a supermarket after the guy yelled, "castration for sex criminals! Just sign here!".

I hope that's really what I signed for. I was 18 and if I had it to do over I would have checked out whether he was for real.

It seems like it would be difficult to legislate something like that though.

 

[Hand Sword]

Yes!

 

[Drac]

Yes!

I agree.and what he'll get inside the "joint" will be much worse AND WELL DESERVED..

 

[celtic_crippler]

I don't consider them "human" at all, but less than. I personally would reccomend castration with a brick.

Children that survive this sort of thing never recover....ever. They will always have scars. In some ways the crime is much more haneous than murder as the victim continues to suffer for years. Why should molesters be treated with leniency??

On the other hand, children do lie and some innocent folks have been tried for molestation. In all seriousnous, I don't think the death penalty should be used. I don't trust our Justice System to make the right decisions 100% of the time. But I also don't think convicted molesters should be allowed to "walk" because they're too short to go to jail!! WTF WAS THAT JUDGE THINKING!?!?!?! That's a good example of WHY I don't trust our Judicial System!

 

[MartialIntent]

I agree.and what he'll get inside the "joint" will be much worse AND WELL DESERVED..

Absolutely! I think we spend *far* too much effort considering the rights of these molesters and far too little on the victims. We're so busy pontificating on how these abusers are poor troubled souls, themselves maybe subject of abuse, and we're so caught up in analysing these brutal and cruel acts that we lose sight of who has been wronged - and it's not relative here, it's black and white: one person has been wronged and the other has committed the wrong. There are not two sets of victims, only one. I think our societies have become much too liberal and "understanding" <sarcasm> to accept this notion.

Though I'm not convinced that castration is a solution to this [as much as it would please me to believe it]. I think these abusers and molesters would continue to offend regardless of castration. However, neutering would certainly seem to satisfy a need in the general populus to enact some meaningful vengeance on these horrors.

But 15yo or not, very few on this earth are too young not to know what is truly right from what is truly wrong. I think there are many who simply choose to suppress this whether it's because of their previous background [I'm thinking Fred West] or not. I think finite time and resources wasted on abusers, their rights and their needs would be much more worthily spent by *any* caring society on the victims.

Respects!

 

[Makalakumu]

My wife has worked with 9 year old "child" molesters and that is way more common then people want to think.

This sort of deviance is not a simple matter of do or do not. The fact that so many young kids are sex offenders should tell you that the developmental issues that people are poopooing in this thread are real.

Now, I'm not saying that if one of my children were abused by one of these kids I would be inclined towards mercy. I could only hope that our society would treat all parties objectively.

 

[MartialIntent]

Now, I'm not saying that if one of my children were abused by one of these kids I would be inclined towards mercy. I could only hope that our society would treat all parties objectively.

I think objectivity in such a traumatic situation is ceratinly a laudible goal and undoubtedly the best method for lasting resolution. The problem I have however is that we [as a society] seem to eternally err on the side of the perpatrator rather than the victim. We seem to put the bulk of our effort into understanding the abuser and ensuring their subsequent "rights" are not taken away when I believe it would be better using these finite resources to assist the victim whose life will have been horribly and cruelly changed forever.

Respects!

 

[mrhnau]

UNK, I don't think people are endorsing the death penalty for minors. They normally don't endorse them for young murderers either. Thats another topic for perhaps another thread. I'm not too sure about why a 17 year old can't be put to death, but if they have a birthday a week later they are ok for the death penalty...

On the topic, there are already death penalties in several states for rape, correct? Would this just be an extension of penalties to a larger class of sexual crimes? I think its a question of where do you draw the line of severe punishment in sexual crimes. Where will the line for death penalty/life sentance be drawn? Rape? Molestation? Minor Molestation? Groping? Sexual harrasment? Peeping Toms?

Personally, I'd be a fan of castration for repeat offenders, but I doubt that will ever pass. I will say this though, sexual offenders get treated worse than any other offenders once they get out. I don't know of national registeries of shoplifters, I can't find a list of people convicted of aggrevated assault. Not saying this type of attention is invalid, just more pronounced than other types of criminals.

 

[Xue Sheng]

What is your opinion of this House bill that passed in South Carolina? I believe it has to pass the SC Senate too before becoming law with the Governor's signature. I thought this subject would be good for discussion.


http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635212021,00.html

- Ceicei

Works for me, but then again putting them in prison in population works for me too.

Or the way a friend of mine from South America said his village handled the one and only child molester he ever heard of growing up...Machetes

 

[Makalakumu]

UNK, I don't think people are endorsing the death penalty for minors. They normally don't endorse them for young murderers either. Thats another topic for perhaps another thread. I'm not too sure about why a 17 year old can't be put to death, but if they have a birthday a week later they are ok for the death penalty...

On the topic, there are already death penalties in several states for rape, correct? Would this just be an extension of penalties to a larger class of sexual crimes? I think its a question of where do you draw the line of severe punishment in sexual crimes. Where will the line for death penalty/life sentance be drawn? Rape? Molestation? Minor Molestation? Groping? Sexual harrasment? Peeping Toms?

Personally, I'd be a fan of castration for repeat offenders, but I doubt that will ever pass. I will say this though, sexual offenders get treated worse than any other offenders once they get out. I don't know of national registeries of shoplifters, I can't find a list of people convicted of aggrevated assault. Not saying this type of attention is invalid, just more pronounced than other types of criminals.

I seriously don't think that anyone would want to put kids to death. That isn't my point. My point is that with this type of deviance, there are some serious developmental issues. Most child molesters have long histories of violating as children. There is seriously something "broken" inside these people. It's like an uncontrollable addiction...a mental illness. With that being said, should we castrate or kill adults who are "suffering" from this affliction?

I think that a good metaphor for this are werewolves...

 

[bydand]

Red is Positive, Black Negitive need somebody to throw the switch? There comes a time when a person can no longer point to their background or upbringing and use that as a defence for their actions as an adult. I think the world has forgotten about the concepts of responsibility and accountability. It makes ZERO difference to the victims and family if the person who has molested, injured, or killed had a "silver spoon" background or an unthinkable background, they have to deal with the here-and-now. Sure you may feel sorry for that person, but....

 

[mrhnau]

I seriously don't think that anyone would want to put kids to death. That isn't my point. My point is that with this type of deviance, there are some serious developmental issues. Most child molesters have long histories of violating as children. There is seriously something "broken" inside these people. It's like an uncontrollable addiction...a mental illness. With that being said, should we castrate or kill adults who are "suffering" from this affliction?

I think that a good metaphor for this are werewolves...

We could say the same about serial killers. they had such a hard life growing up, killing puppies, being molested... I don't think as adults we excuse deviant behavior by just saying "they can't help it", otherwise our justice system fails to operate properly. Every mother, child, friend will bring some sob story about how they had such a hard life. While this may be true, as rational adults, we have the ability to make decisions regarding the type of behavior we engage in. You stick your hand on a hot stove, you get burned. You drive your car off a bridge, you get injured. Action/Reaction. Is that not how the justice system should work? Your illegal action requires a reaction.

Should we "treat" those young kids? Yes, I'd be in favor of that... young kids could possibly be changed, but as adults, these destructive patterns are engrained in those repeat offenders.

This is just my personal opinion on the following, but I sincerly believe it. As a society, we have been having this sort of problem for a while now, and its seemed to only get worse since as a soceity we have removed the Bible from schools in the 60's/70's. Were there problems before? Sure, but its seemed to escalate since that point. Remove the teaching of a traditional morality, are we suprised that kids are less moral? Judging from your posts in the past, I'm sure you would not agree, but thats my stance

We have sex ed, but alot of schools don't want to discuss abstinance. Want to teach them how to have "safe" sex, but not how to have the "safest" sex, which is waiting for marriage. I'd love to have that taught...

Kids are bombarded by sex. From the Clinton fiasco, to normal daytime TV, to commercials, to all forms of media. I think this is partly to blame... companies want to sell, and sex sells. With this saturation, is there any suprise we are encouraging sexual deviance/excessiveness?

Sorry for the rambling, just whats on my mind