Death Penalty for Rape

It is pointless giving statistics for the number of victims are far more than the numbers on record or those that have been reported. The appeals by civil society and child protection authorities need to now be synergized with public outrage to demand that the Government take immediate action.

l by Shenali Waduge

(04 July, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) No one has the right to take away the innocence of another and in the case of a child, punishment for such an offense needs to go beyond the present practice of filling prisons with these offenders or giving them bail to commit another such offence. Revival of capital punishment is a now or never question which needs prompt attention and action.

Take any newspaper and the main page is full of rape, child abuse or molestation incidents happening throughout Sri Lanka. The incidents related to prostitution, drugs, human trafficking and other such ills are not waning either. It is pointless giving statistics for the number of victims are far more than the numbers on record or those that have been reported. The appeals by civil society and child protection authorities need to now be synergized with public outrage to demand that the Government take immediate action.

There should be no empathy for the inhumans who commit such abuse on even children hardly 1 year old.

Although Sri Lanka has the legal death penalty, all death penalty cases have been commuted to life in prison and there have been no executions since 1973. Since 2000 there are over 1000 on death row but they are simply languishing in jails waiting for execution or a final decision for commutation for execution.

Capital punishment was abolished by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1955 despite objections. Capital punishment was reintroduced by Mrs. Bandaranaike no sooner she came into power. When the J R Jayawardena Government took over though the law was in force it was defunct with debate over verdicts and incidents of those convicted being released or pardoned are many. Thus, since the late seventies capital punishment is at a standstill.

We have discussed, debated and argued enough – crimes are increasing and becoming horrifying with each day. No one has the right to rob children of their innocence. These sex maniacs and perverts need to be treated with the language they understand for often most of their victims end up killed.

If crime rate was low when capital punishment was in force what is stopping the authorities from imposing the death sentence denying bail to these sex perverts?

Any child is as important as one’s child – punish the perverts for rape with death.