More Calls for Death Penalty in Child Rapes
Measures in several states are meant to deter, but critics see execution making victims less likely to tell — and more likely to be killed.
By Lianne Hart, Times Staff Writer
October 10, 2006 HOUSTON — With the election just a month away, politicians examining ways to stop violent sexual offenders from striking again are increasingly calling for laws that would allow states to execute repeat child molesters.
Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is the latest to join the effort, proposing a plan Oct. 3 that would require a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 25 years for first-time offenders and the possibility of death for a second conviction.
It’s about time more than three states started seriously considering child sexual abuse to be bad enough to take the person off the face of the earth. There are only a hand full of states with laws on the books that allow for the execution of child rapists- Louisiana, Florida and Montana. These laws are on the books but not really used. There is currently one man in the entire country on death row for the rape of a child not resulting in death. He is in Louisiana.
The words of this particular politician seem like strong ones, saying that rape can and will destroy the life of the victim. In the article he says “These are crimes that have lifelong effects on the victims. Some never have a normal life. It destroys life as surely as a gun to the head” I agree totally but the mass of citizens will have to agree and have to see the death penalty as equal to the crime.
Texas says they care about their children and say that they want to send a message that if you want to do this kind of crime then don’t do it in our state. Texas might want to stop pretending that they care. If they really want to show they care then the first step is to stop letting sex offenders out for “good behavior” and letting them out early because of jail house over crowding so they can go and offend again. If they want to avoid the whole death penalty thing with the Supreme Court then make life in prison without the possibility of parole mandatory for predators.
That’s going to cost some serious money though. My suggestion is to forget these stupid lottery things and start building more prisons and start taking the safety of children seriously. There is so much wasted money and it makes me sick. Yeah, okay Dateline catches predators every Friday for our viewing pleasure but are they really doing anything? Will those men be charged sufficiently? When they get out won’t they offend again just so we can go back and have this conversation all over again? Will there be any lessons learned? Will Dateline continue give repeat offenders the TV time they need to show the world just how much control they have over our children and the safety of our mental peace. Dateline gives us a look at the world every single Friday but gives no real solutions. My thought is, the main difficulty is how the victim is viewed. Are women and children important enough to say, “If you prey upon them we’re giving you the needle?” Is a sex crime viewed the same as murder? It should be because they take the very soul and rob it blind and leave it knowing full well the person will be allowed to roam the streets again so they can rob and mutilate yet another soul.
This one inmate on death row for the rape of a child in Louisiana (Patrick O’Neal Kennedy) apparently has the law answer the question for us concerning children. His appeal for the execution is based on the fact that the US Supreme Court laws say the death penalty is for the rape of women not children.
On the subject of female predators, I’ve seen a slight change in the media concerning these monsters. There are still jokes flying left and right about teachers with male students, much to my disgust and confirming that male victims are not seen in the same light as female victims. Recently on TV three major shows on ABC had a female offender. I was shocked that three shows in one week showed gruesome acts by women instead of the perp always being male. One show had a woman that helped and encouraged her husband to do the Sleeping Beauty type rapes (Somnophilia aka “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome). One show had a younger woman binding, torturing and killing teenage girls who appeared to have everything to live for. Shows like this may not be taken as they should be right now but perhaps enough of them will let people know the heart of a woman can be just as black as that of a man. Women offenders deserve the same legal treatment as men in all crimes including those against children. If this means the death penalty then so be it. It’s about time someone put a light on women offenders and stopped giving them psychiatric labels to explain away their violent behaviors.
I’m not a reporter, a journalist or any such thing, just a survivor who knows the full effects of what predators can do.
Austin
see my reply to comments at the link provided.
A crime is a crime – regardless of the criminal’s gender.
And rape is rape regardless of the victim being male or female or the rapist being a man or a woman.
The rapists are much more often male and the victims female but that shouldn’t distract from the crime itself. Murder is also murder whatever gender the killer might have (or the victim).
Don’t know if rape should result in death penalty. The large majority of childrapes take place in families and are committed by persons known to the victim. So the question is: How many survivors would refrain from accusing their daddy/mommy/brother or whomever due to the death penalty waiting who would indeed accuse them with the current statutory situation applying?
And the other family members could put pressure on the victim, too.
Hi Austin,
I wanted to thank you for coming by my blogs to comment. If there is anything you nedd to know, just ask me on my most current post.
The godfather said so much…most abusers are family members which has a built in protection of sorts…gotta stop it though…one way or another. let’s go back to papillon days and send ‘em to an island out in the ocean and let them fend for themselves with other criminals.
john