Yes, Rizz,
I suggest that Life without Parole should be the highest punishment- there would not be a need for the death penalty.

OZGIRL
I also just thought about the families of the victims.
If this murderer would have to serve Life without parole ('rot in jail') then the family of the victim could be sure that this monster would not be allowed to walk free ever again.

If the murderer got the death penalty, then there would be many costly appeals for many years. This places a lot of uncertainty and stress on the family of the victim- they cannot be certain that one of the appeals will be successful.

Really, I strongly believe that life without parole (till they die) is the highest option in where we do not have to be ashamed of the Australian system.

i agree just look at that guy from americe. he murdered sum1 but then he changed his life n made a difference but he was sentenced to death even though people protsted against it, even the murdered peoples families

No Way, Jose. Ronald Ryan would likely be found not guilty if he was tried today, considering the evidence gathered AFTER he was hanged. Does the name Lindy Chamberlain ring a bell? She was crucified before she first set foot in the courtroom. I don't know if she is guilty or not, but a dingo or pigdogs gone feral took a dog of mine, about the size of a baby, from a campsite one night. I didn't hear a sound, just saw some blood on the ground next a.m. Makes ya wonder

I think the death peanalty would be a detterrent to peadophiles..as Deborah said these days its rare mistakes are made and with DNA matching etc there would not be the worry of executing the wrong person..

Yes that was a real concern in the past, but not now.

Celivia, when I have more time I will address some of your points more fully.

Rachel, have you found evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent to pedophiles?
I’ve searched but I’ve only found evidence that the death penalty does not deter others from killing people, but nothing yet about how it deters pedophiles.

In fact countries without the death penalty have lower murder rates.
I don’t think that the states in say the USA have lower child molestation or murder rates than states or countries that do not have death penalty.

Don’t you think that if there’s death penalty for pedophiles that it will increase the possibility that the pedophile will also kill the child?
What does the pedophile have to lose by killing the child if he’s already sexually abused it? On both sexual abuse and murder would be the same penalty.
Killing the kid would mean the pedophile has killed the victim who’s a danger to the pedo if s/he ‘turns him in’.

Through out my life since the age of 11 (i'm now 16) I have been raped many times by many people, one lasting 4 years (the abuse) but still I do not want them to die, I don’t want them killed, I just want them to go to prison and get help. I would not like them or any other person put to death.

Rizz