Contributed by EUNICE LI DAN YUE –
Keep The Death Penalty in Our Country
While I agree with the writer of “Crucial to substantiate deterrent effect of death penalty” (Oct 6, Today), I am against the idea that such a form of punishment should be abolished.
Why the Death Penalty in our Country Should Not Be Abolished?
In my view, abolishing the death penalty would send the wrong signal to potential criminals, particularly that of hardcore murderers and traffickers.
Even though caning is very painful, for many of the prisoners, it is no longer a deterrent; and I know that many would be prepared to be caned again if the trade-off is that their prison terms can be shortened.
Even though the maximum number of strokes that can be handed down by the courts is 24, my friend who is a counsellor in prison told me that many prisoners have been caned for more than 50 times, over many prison terms. This means that for many hardcore offenders, once they have been caned, the fear of caning is no longer an effective deterrent.
While abolishing the death penalty will show mercy to a segment of convicted people, this does injustice to our society. This applies particularly to criminals whose heinous crimes would have caused unbearable suffering to their victims.
I am sure that when the criminals know that they will not face execution, they are more likely to commit the heinous crimes repeatedly again, for hope that they will be given a similarly lenient sentence again next time. This then becomes a vicious cycle, in which they will continue to challenge the legal system of our country, as they know that they can always escape the death penalty.
Impact to the Victim’s Family
Think of the anguish and psychological trauma suffered by the victim’s families when they learnt that the person who did the unforgivable crime is spared the death penalty and has the possibility of roaming the streets again once his jail term is up.
Possibility of Misuse of the Death Penalty?
While there are arguments as to that there are possibilities that an innocent man be hanged and this action is irreversible once it is made, I am certain that unless both the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the judiciary are absolutely certain that the accused is guilty of the capital offence, he will not be given the death sentence.
Role the Death Penalty Plays in Our Country
As a matter of fact, the death penalty in our country plays a big role in keeping the crime rates one of the lowest in the world, by letting people think twice before committing their crimes. Executions are given media coverage if interesting enough and due to that, the public knows the punishments for certain crimes, hence the death penalty acts as an effective deterrent. This way, the safety and security of our country and its citizens can be ensured.
Without the death penalty for the criminals of heinous crimes, the public may take the matter into their own hands, which would just disturb the peace and security of our country and increase the crime rate. If the motto “an eye for an eye” is kept in the consciousness of the public, order and discipline would be kept in place and our country would remain an organised and stable one held together by strict laws.
By Eunice Li Dan Yue
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