Author Topic: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
JediSmuggler 
Registered: Jun '99
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Date Posted: 3/30/06 11:46am Subject: Death Penalty for Child Molestors? - Date Edited: 1/10 7:15am (2 edits total) Edited By: Lowbacca_1977
It seems that South Carolina is considering a law to allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for repeat offenses of sexually assaulting a child (under 11).

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/8335069/detail.html

I'm all for this. I just hope that they cut a deal with the GRU, though... but I won't object if this bill passes - or if other states take it up.

 

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LemmingLord 
Title: PT Manager & CLUE Host
Registered: Apr '05
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Date Posted: 3/30/06 12:41pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
I think it odd that repeated sexual assault on children should be worth the death penalty but repeated sexual assault on adults should not.

That said, I think both kinds of sexual assault should have worse punishments then drug use or drug traficking.

I've never been murdered or raped; but I'm not certain I'd call rape as bad as murder. Then again, I don't believe in an afterlife, so that makes murder a pretty bad thing. On the other hand, some rapes seem to inflict life long trauma - so perhaps in some cases you really are "murdering" someone by putting them through.. And another though, some assaults and tortures are probably worse than sexual assault or rape.

Is kidnapping someone and locking them in a dungeon for a year somehow better than raping someone?

This is a good thread about figuring out just where each criminal act belongs...

 

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farraday 
Registered: Jan '00
Date Posted: 3/30/06 12:54pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
One of the worries is, if both murder and rae have the same penalty there is in fact not penalty for killign someone after you rape them.

 

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BenduHopkins 
Registered: Apr '04
17821_Lando takes control
Date Posted: 3/30/06 1:40pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
No. Nobody should get the death penalty. And murderers are worse than child molesters. Molested children can go on to live happy lives but dead people can not.

Why does this come up every few weeks? I'd rather see executioners and death-penalty sentencers killed than child molesters. But then, I don't believe in killing people for revenge, so I don't need to choose now, do I?

 

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Fire_Ice_Death 
Registered: Feb '01
41184_Borsk
Date Posted: 3/30/06 1:59pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
The penalty for raping someone and then killing them? Cut off their testicles a year before they're set to die.

 

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Mr44 
Registered: May '02
Date Posted: 3/30/06 2:01pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
I'd agree that I'm not sure the death penalty is warranted here, but my opinion is more in line with what Farraday pointed out.

I certainly have no problem with the death penalty, but it has to fit within the heiarchy of penalties. If rape becomes just as severe as murder in sentencing, why wouldn't a rapist simply kill all of their vicitms as well? Its a dangerous game of poltical brinksmanship. Of course, those who repeatedly engage in such behavior should be subject to stricter consequences of their actions.

I believe California experienced a similiar phenomenon when it adopted its three strikes policy. If someone knows they are going to jail for life for their third offense, no matter how serious, that person was more likely to go out in a "blaze of glory." What did they have to loose?

Probably more effective would be to increase enforcement of the lifelong monitoring and/or treatment programs that those who serial molest are subject to.

 

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LemmingLord 
Title: PT Manager & CLUE Host
Registered: Apr '05
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Date Posted: 3/30/06 2:56pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
Teach these people how to halo jump and drop them over our enemies. happy

 

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Warsie 
Registered: Oct '05
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Date Posted: 3/30/06 4:16pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
just..no to that law

 

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lorn_zahl 
Registered: Oct '02
14728_Trinto Duaba
Date Posted: 3/30/06 10:21pm Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors? - Date Edited: 3/30/06 10:52pm (2 edits total) Edited By: lorn_zahl
I'm continually flabergasted that there are people serving life sentences for drugs when there are pedo's living free.

A drug offender can be rehabilitated, a sex offender simply cannot. There's a chance that they won't offend again though I don't think they as people are worth it. Not one bit.

I'm going to describe my point of view and I'm sure that it will offend some. Keep in mind that my sister has worked in CPS for the last 5 years and I've had my fill of horror stories.

I'm all for it, as long as it's the electric chair or firing squad. I don't feel like paying a million bucks a pop.


EDIT:


BenduHopkins posted:
I'd rather see executioners and death-penalty sentencers killed than child molesters. But then, I don't believe in killing people for revenge, so I don't need to choose now, do I?


How about justice?








 

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LemmingLord 
Title: PT Manager & CLUE Host
Registered: Apr '05
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Date Posted: 3/31/06 5:08am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors? - Date Edited: 3/31/06 5:15am (1 edits total) Edited By: LemmingLord
lorn_zahl posted:
BenduHopkins posted:
I'd rather see executioners and death-penalty sentencers killed than child molesters. But then, I don't believe in killing people for revenge, so I don't need to choose now, do I?


How about justice?




Justice is important to be sure. Like you said, it does not seem just that consenting adults selling drugs to other consenting adults should go to prison while some malicious child rapist may get parole. Still, I think that is a problem with drug laws, NOT a problem with laws against child molestation. There needs to be room for a jury to decide what is just in cases of child molestation as not every act of child molestation is going to have the same impact or be executed with the same malice. One concept that is disconcerting to me is that consent is all or nothing - i.e. someone at 15 has 0 consent in sexual acts and someone 16 has 100% (unless you are in a state that allows marriage at a younger age with a parent's consent, in which case in NM a 14 year old miraculously can give 100% consent). I would certainly be against saying that all inappropriate touches are worth the death penalty!

 

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BenduHopkins 
Registered: Apr '04
17821_Lando takes control
Date Posted: 3/31/06 7:21am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
Yeah, why does this kind of thing come up? That is what we really should be investigating. I think it is because our country has never grasped the concept of redemption and rehabilitation. Does anyone think that the stigmatism that comes from having committed a crime can contribute to the repeat offense factor? There's little hope for someone who has been convicted of something inn this country of re-entering normal society, because this country rewards concepts of vengenace and lifelong stigmatism of human error. There's absolutely no "corrections" to be made in this country. "Justice" is achieved more when someone repents and changes and is truly sorry, than when they are strapped into a chair and executed. That's justice.

But then there's the victim factor. I agree that if anyone ever hurt anyone I loved, I would not rest until that person was held accountable and made safe from society. Some victims can not rest until the person who committed a crime against them is killed. Someone should do a study to see if these people are sane, or just running on some post traumatic stress disorder side effect. Chances are, if nothing can make you happy except the death of someone who has hurt you, then you will not be happy for very long once they are executed.

 

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Lord_Sindjin 
Registered: Nov '04
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Date Posted: 3/31/06 7:44am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
Anyone who can become sexually aroused from a child is very very sick. There is no rehabilitation for that sickness. We have learned this time and time again when repeat-pedofiles go back into society and repeat their crimes. Sorry... they need to be destroyed.

Perhaps some people are not exposed to it enough. I live in Florida where we have seen more than our fair share of these disgusting crimes. In addition, I am a parent. I have ZERO tolerance for these sickos. In my opinion...not only should they get the death penalty, we should put in a fast lane and execute them within the week they are sentenced.

 

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malkieD2 
Title: EuroMod™-JCC - FFUK-RSA Emeritus
Registered: Jun '02
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Date Posted: 3/31/06 8:00am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
Well, there's the obvious issue of guilt or not. Without photographic evidence (which sadly there is in some cases), it's difficult to completely 100% prove guilt, hence you could be executing an innocent person. (Remember person because women are guilty of it too).

However, as Farrie points out, why stop at rape if the punishment is the same as murder? I'd suggest that many sex offenders would then kill their victim as it won't alter the sentence, and prevents the victim giving evidence.



I'd like to touch on another point :-

Anyone who can become sexually aroused from a child is very very sick. There is no rehabilitation for that sickness.

Assuming they have some chemical imbalance that prevents them from controling their sexual desire, and promotes sexual feelings towards children. (Say a form of schizophrenia for example). Then imagine that science came up with a cure for this "sickness", ie a drug which corrected the imbalance. The drug could be given subcuntaneously, meaning the offender wouldn't actually have to take a pill each day.

So, say this "sickness" could be treated - what then ?

(note, I'm not stating opinion, I'm just promoting discussion).

 

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Lord_Sindjin 
Registered: Nov '04
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Date Posted: 3/31/06 8:06am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
"So, say this "sickness" could be treated - what then ? "

I dont see the point in wasting money and energy in trying to cure these people. Sorry. Why? Put that time and effort into curing diseases of non-criminals. Keep in mind... a pedophile is different than a normal rapist. In my opinion, they are a genetic mistake. Erase them and keep them out of the gene pool.

 

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BenduHopkins 
Registered: Apr '04
17821_Lando takes control
Date Posted: 3/31/06 8:20am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors? - Date Edited: 3/31/06 8:23am (2 edits total) Edited By: BenduHopkins
Sorry... they need to be destroyed.

So on the one hand, you're saying one type of person is a monster, while at the same time saying that you want to kill 400,000 people who could just be prevented from doing damage. I'm sorry, but it's just silly to say that with a straight face and expect to be taken seriously by anyone with a clear head. Teri Hatcher just revealed that she had been abused by her uncle. Do you think that she'd be better of dead? She's a relatively happy person with a great career. I'm sure it is awful, but nowhere near as bad as being murdered. We can't just turn into killers because we're disgusted by people who are sick. I was going to check to see if there was any hope for pedophiles to recover, and I did find this New York Times article. It certainly does humanize the problem. I'm sure you don't like to see people as human beings when they're destructive to innocence, but they are humans, regardless of whatever monsterous sides may reside within them.

Link
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/magazine/23PEDO.html?pagewanted=10&ei=5070&en=498eebb208bcd549&ex=1143954000


Excerpt:
''I think,'' she [the pedophile's wife] said on the couch, ''I know Roy well enough'' to be sure that he won't ever do again what he did. ''I think with Roy things just got out of hand.'' She talked of hoping still to take the course for family members who wish to act as supervisors, so she could learn how to be on guard, how to save him. ''People can stumble,'' she said. ''I want to be able to recognize the signs, to know what to look for.''

Then, for a few seconds, her voice sharpened severely. ''To this day'' -- she spoke partly to me but partly to her husband -- ''I can't understand how he could write crap like that to a little girl.'' She said she told him this frequently. ''She does,'' he mumbled, looking stricken.

One night, shortly before his privileges were taken away, Roy and his wife launched a vast, luminous gold-and-red kite at the town beach. Usually after dusk the beach was empty. But a group of kids came running toward them, boys and girls who looked, in his eyes, to be between 4 and 12. By his agreement with Liddle and the probation department, he was simply supposed to tell the kids to keep their distance, to tell them they might get tangled in the heavy lines. The mere presence of minors didn't mean he had to leave the waterfront. But he panicked, and whether fleeing some imagined legal transgression or terrified by something within himself, he left the unwieldy lines to his wife. He raced away.

He rushed for the waist-high fence that divides the sand from the parking lot. He couldn't get his bearlike body over it cleanly; he wound up stuck, sitting on it and crushing it. Sometime later he showed me the place of his flight, where the fence remained bent. It wasn't hard for me to picture him caught there, between the safe and the terrifying.


I mean, this is seriously sad. Really sad. I feel sorry for everyone involved, because I can't help but still see what human there is in everyone. When I was 21, I found out my girlfriend's best friend father had been in prison for luring and touching a 15 year old boy. Although it was disturbing news, I felt compassion for him. I did not just forget all the good I had seen in him and grab a hatchet to go chop his head off.

 

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BenduHopkins 
Registered: Apr '04
17821_Lando takes control
Date Posted: 3/31/06 8:38am Subject: RE: Death Penalty for Child Molestors?
Anyone who can become sexually aroused from a child is very very sick.


I wonder then what you think about the VH1 "remember the 80's" when the woman who had played "Six" on "Blossom" confessed she had been inappropriately attracted to much younger Jonathan T. Thomas from "Home Improvement". This was presented as comedy. One has to persecute criminal threat, not play thought police. Let's be honest. There are attractive 15 year old girls. The problem is in the compulsion to do something about it. Ever hear a friend's mom call a high school guy "hot"? So let's not play "mind police" here.

 

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