Opinion: Death Penalty For Child Rapists Does More Harm Than Good; Tennessee Erred On New Law

[Sugar Cookie]

Against the advice of child service providers and experts, the legislature recently passed a bill to expand the death penalty to individuals who sexually abuse children.

As the mother of three young children, I understand the desire to punish people who commit these reprehensible crimes. However, as someone who has served as a victim-witness coordinator for the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office, a probation officer, and as an assistant public defender for youth and adults, I have learned that when child service providers and experts, the people caring for these children every day all over our state, have repeatedly stated that this legislation will not make children safer but will instead keep children from reporting the crime at all, or could even endanger their lives, we should heed their expert advice.

These experts testified that 90% of these crimes are committed by members of the child’s own family or those in their circle of trust. This means that if a child comes forward to report the crime, not only could her grandpa or his uncle or her pastor get in trouble, he could now be executed.

Experts have suggested this will lead to a dramatic under-reporting of this crime.

Another unintended consequence of this legislation is that it may actually encourage abusers to kill their child victims in order to eliminate any witnesses, because the punishment is now the same whether or not they kill their victims.

The death penalty is inherently flawed​

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The amount of resources our state would spend to defend this new law, as well as the trauma it would inflict upon child victims during the decades long appeals process cannot be overstated.

When another senator asked to amend the bill to ensure that the state would pay for counseling and other trauma support if we are going to require children and their families to endure decades of litigation, her amendment was rejected.

Expanding the death penalty to child rape creates more problems than it solves. Our resources are better spent on child abuse prevention and seeking to repair the harm and foster healing for victims and their families. Let’s follow the experts when it comes to the safety of our children.

Death penalty for child rapists does more harm than good. Tennessee erred on new law

Opinion: Our resources are better spent on child abuse prevention and seeking to repair the harm and foster healing for victims and their families.

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These are valid points but I don't think it completely takes the death penalty off the table for child rapists.

 

[thuumpr]

To the idea that it does more harm... Bullshit.
This is a 'real liberal' idea that empowers the perpetrator. Lowering the punishment does not make things safer for children.

Time to cull the herd.

 

[Busy Bee]

The child rapists that are executed won’t ever do that again!

 

[Angiebla]

If someone touches my child, they dont need the death penalty. I will unalive them myself.