States Weigh Punishing Child Rapists With Death

Monday , June 11, 2007

By Liza Porteus


Lynda Marie Kirby sexually abused her young son in ways more horrible than anyone could imagine, and she'll pay a steep price for her crimes.

Kirby is serving a 125-year sentence, and she will remain in prison for half that time — 62 1/2 years — before she becomes eligible for parole.

But there are many in Texas who think Kirby shouldn't spend even another day behind bars. They believe crimes of her nature deserve a greater punishment than imprisonment, and now the state is on its way toward approving the death penalty for child rapists.

Texas is the latest state to pass a form of "Jessica’s Law" — named after 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford of Florida, who was abducted, abused, buried alive and left to die in a dirt hole by a known sex offender who lived nearby — that includes the death penalty.

The Texas bill reserves the death penalty for people who rape children under age 6 at least twice, or children younger than 14 if the crime also involves the use of a deadly weapon, alcohol or drugs, death threats, bodily injury, kidnapping or gang rape. Texas Gov. Rick Perry is expected to sign the bill into law.

But in 80 to 90 percent of child rapes, the victims know their attacker, and in many cases the rapist is a relative. Critics of the bill say the knowledge that he or she could be responsible for a relative's execution could do more psychological damage to a child than the rapes themselves.

Terry Kirby doesn’t think people like his child’s mother deserve to die for their crimes.

Snip....... Fox News
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Works for me. Anyone who abuses a child like that should be put to death.

I agree 100%.

Can I be in charge of this? I would like to brutally torture them within an inch of their life then keep them alive for a while... heal them and torture them again until they die. If you don't agre... you've never been abused.

Why stop at child rapists?

Why not execute all rapists.

In fact, why stop at rape? Let's execute all criminals.

The state does not have the right to murder people! Death is by it's very nature cruel and unusual punishment.

The state does not have the right to murder people! Death is by it's very nature cruel and unusual punishment.

They (We) don't? The law states that they (We) do - why do you state that they (We) don't?

he's referring to the constitution.

That was my first thought.

Curious to read, though, that nobody seems to think that this law will do anything to decrease the incidents of child rape.

Much as the DP seems to be warranted, the article raises the very important issue of leaving a child feeling responsible for the death of a relative or someone else she/he knows. Not only that, what if adults around the child are aware of what's happening but are reluctant to tell anyone or support the child's accusations because they don't want to feel responsible for the death of their brother/uncle/best friend's spouse/etc.? This could really backfire and make it harder to get any conviction at all. Sad but true, if individuals feel that a punishment is too great, they are more likely to let the crime go unpunished at all.

Where in the constitution does it specifically say that we cannot kill people? If you can find it, why have that Supremes been unable to find it?

Death, as an unreversable punishment is by its very nature cruel and unusual punishment.

You cannot correct the killing of an innocent man if the courts fail him and we as a nation put him to death.

Actually death is too easy for those types of criminals.

They should have to do serious hard time on chain gangs, get lashes and other "cruel and unusual punishment."
Just like they meted out.

Why not? Cheaper than paying for them

Since there was a death penalty when the constitution was drafted, do you think when the framers wrote cruel and unusual punishment, they were referring to the death penalty?

I believe the death penalty is justified. Having known a few people that suffered abuse by their relatives-this isn't going to harm them anymore than what has happened to them.

I think it is justified also. I don't think there would be anymore guilt for the child than what they are already living through.

Hang'em high. They know what they did was wrong and they did it anyway. Save my tax $$ and poison the b-tards.

Luckily you are in the minority - Thank God.

So, if it were your child, what punishment is appropriate?

A stern talking to, followed by an investigation into root causes.

i think "cruel and unusual" is purposely broad and is actually one of the best hints that the constitution is a living document.

Locking someone up for the rest of his/her life is no less a punishment than death. In fact, it can be argued that it's a worse punishment. Non-sociopaths (anyone with a conscience) will, in fact, suffer more by being in jail and not allowed to die, and have to live with the guilt of what they've done.

If it were my child, yes on a personal level, my anger and fury would have me calling for the offender's head. This is why vigilante justice is against the law. The law should operate from a standpoint other than emotion and vindictiveness. The law should protect society. Society is protected if these criminals are locked up.

My issue is with the system that allows these animals who prey on children OUT of jail in the first place! Let's fix that and keep 'em locked up where they can't harm others, instead of demanding blood "justice".

And no matter how many times people say "it's cheaper to kill 'em", the fact remains that, under our current laws which automatically guarantee a hugely lengthy appeals process, it's NOT cheaper to administer the death penalty - it's cheaper (by far) to lock them up for the rest of their lives.

sub-prime

The framers of the constitution didn't think women should vote when the Constitution was drafted. Do you think they were right there too?

The framers of the constitution didn't think slavery was cruel and unjust either. Were they right there?

The truth is, we have a mandate as an ethical nation to improve upon that which our forefathers left us, not simply to hold it as an ideal.

As for what would be appropriate if it happened to my child? Life in prison with no hope of parole. I do not believe in the state taking out vengeance for me, nor in taking vengeance into my own hands. The appropriate punishment will come in His time, not mine.

Wow, you really don't understand me at all. Just because I don't believe that we should take vengeance into our own hands does not make me a bleeding heart who thinks these kinds of people should ever be allowed back on to the streets.

Very well said.

Unreal! They play their games in prison and they know what to say and how to act. They get no real help in there because they don't care.

So ask the family how they feel when the molester got out on good behavior - kidnapped their 15 yr old daughter, raped, strangled her and then cut her up with a saw and hid her remains in the swamps.

Yeah, kill them because they do deserve to die.