POLL: do you support the death penalty?

So you would execute people merely for being attracted to the underage? Surely they can't help that, and some form of therapy might be more in order?

So your morality is based on what some bloke in a silly robe selling lies about what his imaginary freind told him to do...

For one, I fundamentally disagree with the state killing its own citizens. For another, on a practical level, I see no good case for the death penalty. It doesn't even save money as far as I know, and only seems to feed into our innate desire for retribution, which is emotional, not logical.

Yes I'd support it however there will need to be 100% certainty with no doubt that they committed the crime. I'd reserve it for the most horrible crimes as well like torture, murder etc.

I'd heard a story that the UK stopped doing it after a Welsh man was wrongly convicted and killed after DNA later proved him innocent.

Yes - if it can be 100% proved it was that person who committed a crime such as rape, murder etc as this affects someone life or causes a death No/ if it isn’t 100% sure it’s then whocommitted

Why would you support paedophilia??!

To add to this further, from qualitative interviews with families of victims who have been murdered, where the perpetrator has been put to death, many families found this experience to be particularly stressful and did not feel that, ultimately, it offered them any comfort. Many had come to terms with the death of their loved one, and the death penalty appeals (multiple are allowed under federal law for those sentenced to death) only caused re-victimisation and prolonged the process when they wanted to mourn and move on. Therefore, surely if the victims don't want capital punishment, then who does? An angry public who have only heard about the case through a biased media?

Capital punishment creates more problems than it solves.

They weren't suggesting they supported paedophilia, they were stating that a peadophile (an individual who is sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children) is distinct from a child sex offender (an individual who had committed contact offences against a child). It isn't a crime to be attracted to children, but obviously it is to offend against them.

This is always an interesting topic. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know of any data on whether the death penalty acts as a deterrent in places it is legal?

They weren't suggesting they supported paedophilia, they were stating that a peadophile (an individual who is sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children) is distinct from a child sex offender (an individual who had committed contact offences against a child). It isn't a crime to be attracted to children, but obviously it is to offend against them.

In my opinion being attracted to children is a crime.

Both are criminal and warrant some form of capital or corporal punishment (e.g. lashings in Iran)

Absolutely not. The death penalty is a barbaric, uncivilised and unacceptable mode of capital punishment that belongs in history books.

If I was a victim I definitely would want the murderer to be hung, burned at the stake, beheaded or whatever method the UK government would use, but I would not want to see him living and breathing in a luxury prison that costs billions every year to fund

I disagree, the present is undoubtedly where it belongs, especially with your left wing leaders in the UK

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

I think we can all agree on corporal punishment though

I think we can all agree on corporal punishment though