Tony’s Law

Franbern, me too, I find it alarming. We can't sink to their (barbaric) level - and I believe that truly evil people are a rarity.

There are so many mentally ill, drug addicted and incapable, though, often undiagnosed, with no support. I don't believe longer sentences will act as a deterrent. either. These acts of cruelty aren't often planned or considered.

That would be me you were referring to, Franbern.
I believe in the death penalty; you don't.

I also don't think it would take me down to the level of someone who would carry out sustained abuse and neglect of a child.
They would have the mercy of being treated respectfully, then humanely dispatched, which is rather more than these wastes of space deserve, frankly.

Setting off bombs against people who don't worship the same God is nothing like the death penalty IMO Franbern.

It isn't supposed to be a deterrent but an appropriate punishment for a crime committed. Until life is for life, in certain cases I believe in the death penalty and this recent case IMO is one where it should be given.

The trouble with the death penalty is if the wrong person gets convicted. This week we had an author (can't remember her name) who identified a man who raped her. He did 16 years in prison and has been on the sex offenders register for years. He is in his 60s and has just been exonerated.

Just looked up the author, it was Alice Sebold. The case was in 1981 so that man has been the victim of a false conviction for 40 years. He cried when he heard the news, he couldn't cry if he'd been executed.

Which is why I think life should be for life theworriedwell in the absence of the death penalty.

The death penalty wouldn't be appropriate for rape.
Not even for most cases where someone is killed, just for those who enjoy torturing their vulnerable victims before killing or allowing them to die.

It wouldnt take anyone else down to that level because they would expect someone else to to the job of execution . They can just say it on the internet without facing any of the consequences of taking a life.

I'd do it.
Public service role.

The hangman doesn’t get a choice, he hangs who ever the law
declares guilty even if innocent

Proved guilty of torture and murder.
Such as parents who film themselves abusing their child.
Ones who text eachother about the process of starving their child to death.
Partners who gouge their girlfriends eyes out weeks before she died...
People who target vulnerable people then torture and kick them to death.

Not a problem at all for me to wipe them off the face of the earth.

You have more faith in the justice system and I do

I've no faith in ot, because these people presently serve a pitifully scant few years, then come out to walk amongst us again, often with a new identity.

MissAdventure you are right to feel that way and the punishment these days for some horrific crimes is just a
joke. The punishment/prison tariff should be raised immediately for many of the murder cases be it little children and also adults many of these people should spend long term sentences maybe not even let some of them out.
The problem about bringing back the death penalty is that
mistakes can happen and after watching the Timothy Evans and Mr. Christie case several times we see a miscarriage of justice appeared, of course it was too late coming to light as Timothy Evans had already been hung despite shouting his innocence until the very end.

I support longer sentences and would even support those parents being sterilised, but not the death penalty

I knew Timothy Evans family, his sisters were distraught.

And we must not forget Derek Bentley who was hanged because his friend who shot the police officer was too young to
face the death penalty.

Ruth Ellis , a peroxide blond nightclub hostess ! who shot her
lover because he hit her and caused a miscarriage.

What chance a nightclub hostess against a the son of a doctor

None of those cases would even be considered for the death sentence, as far as I'm concerned.
As I have said, sustained torture and murder of vulnerable people would be the only ones heinous enough.

Timothy Evans was wrongly convincted of killing his wife and also his 14 month old daughter.

One witness who gave false evidence was the actual murderer, Christie.

Christie had been a special constable during the war !

MissAdventure, I don't agree with the death penalty - simply because it can't be 'undone' if/when there's a miscarriage of justice.

As far as we know, Tony's mother (24) was aware that his father (46) was sometimes too rough with him - yet failed to protect him and saw no other abuse.

She knew that he was ill, yet delayed in seeking medical care. I would guess that she has learning 'differences' as she's shown no remorse and even appealed to get her sentence reduced.

Where was the support in his first few weeks? There was no pre-birth assessment (why?) and a three month delay in referral to social workers. Tony Smith was having treatment for heroin addiction, yet still, there was no risk assessment. Somebody, somewhere, failed to do their job.

I think they're still failing to do their job if nobody has even assessed her yet, don't you?
Of course, it's rare that a case is black and white, and I'm not advocating for the death penalty in any but the most deliberate acts of torture, abuse and murder.

I haven't read about this little boy, because I just can't bear to hear about cruelty to vulnerable souls anymore.
I find I'm unable to put it out of my mind.

But innocent people have been found guilty , poor Stefan
Kiszko served 16 years for murdering an eleven year old , what
use would have a free pardon been if we had still had the death
penalty and he had been hanged .

MissAdventure

The death penalty wouldn't be appropriate for rape.
Not even for most cases where someone is killed, just for those who enjoy torturing their vulnerable victims before killing or allowing them to die.

I was using the rape case as an example of a miscarriage of justice. People on here were advocating the death penalty. How do you even begin to correct a miscarriage of justice if you execute someone?

MissAdventure

I think they're still failing to do their job if nobody has even assessed her yet, don't you?
Of course, it's rare that a case is black and white, and I'm not advocating for the death penalty in any but the most deliberate acts of torture, abuse and murder.

I haven't read about this little boy, because I just can't bear to hear about cruelty to vulnerable souls anymore.
I find I'm unable to put it out of my mind.

Can you bear to think about an innocent person know that tomorrow at x o'clock someone will take them from their cell and kill them? Pretty horrific too.

These cases are years old.
Times have moved on, DNA testing is available, and again, I am talking about the worst of crimes..