Ian huntley

[dan_ict]

Ian huntly is back in prison today after he got his throat slashed. He deserves evrything he gets and more. Surley this man is one of several reasons to bring back capital punishment

[ICTPaisley]

Somehow i don't think people should be getting their throats slashed in prisons though and this needs to be addressed. Prisoners think its acceptable to attack criminals with worser crimes but they are all scum and shouldn't be allowed to do this.

I do agree though for crimes like Ian Huntley has commited capital punishment isn't a bad idea at all. I'm all for it if they can be 100% proven guilty.

[Yngwie]

Ian huntly is back in prison today after he got his throat slashed. He deserves evrything he gets and more. Surley this man is one of several reasons to bring back capital punishment

Is that lifted straight from the Daily Mail's editorial?

[Renegade]

Somehow i don't think people should be getting their throats slashed in prisons though and this needs to be addressed. Prisoners think its acceptable to attack criminals with worser crimes but they are all scum and shouldn't be allowed to do this.

I do agree though for crimes like Ian Huntley has commited capital punishment isn't a bad idea at all. I'm all for it if they can be 100% proven guilty.

The thing is though, what happens when the powers that be make a mistake? If you have a death penalty, one day that will happen, and that isn't worth having it IMO.

[Heilandee]

The thing is though, what happens when the powers that be make a mistake? If you have a death penalty, one day that will happen, and that isn't worth having it IMO.

The powers that be make plenty mistakes releasing killers they deem safe, who then go on to kill further innocents.If proven 100% and premeditated i think there's a case for capital punishment.

[Renegade]

It might make more of a case for it, but it's still a bit of a risk. After all, it only needs one mistake.

[Renegade]

Just out of interest, why does the thread title say "Back in prison"? He was never out. He might have been in hospital but that title gives connotations like he was out walking the streets.

[Scotty]

Ahh the good old capital punishment debate !!!

Cases like those of the 'thing' that is called Huntley are probably the wrong type of case to use in a capital punishment debate as they are banged up for way too emotive a crime to make a rational case in either direction.

Should child killers be subject to capital punishment? Ask any sane person and they would probably say yes, especially in the midst of a media frenzy akin to putting large quantities of chum in shark infested waters.

However, what if - in the midst of a frenzy like this - we actually got it wrong? Now I am not saying we got it wrong with Huntley, it seems 99.99999999999% certain we did not, but big news over here in the last couple of years has been that of the Pediatric Pathologist Dr Charles Smith. Smith was the head pathologist at the renowned "Sick Kids" hospital in Toronto for more than 20 years and in the course of his duties he had to perform post mortems for the police on children who may have died in suspicious circumstances. His testimony put away numerous "child killers" who were later cleared of wrong doing ...... what if we had flipped the switch on these folks ?

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/12/07/...ge-inquiry.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Randal_Smith

[CaleyD]

For me it comes down to the argument about whether or not one persons life is worth that of hundreds of others.

If we accept that mistakes can and will happen when it comes to dishing out Capital Punishment can we balance that off against the lives that may be saved from the instances where we get it right?

No perfect system exists, and at present, just as many mistakes are made which put dangerous people back on the streets as put innocent ones behind bars. Even when we do put dangerous people behind bars they continue to be a threat to those they are banged up with....many of whom could be there for crimes which pose no risk to human life and, assuming the logic of eye for an eye, could never be classed as "deserving whatever they get" whilst in prison.

How do we square the arguments in our own heads? Do we see it as being asked to condone the taking of the life of an offender, or do we see it as being asked to take action to save the life of another victim somewhere down the line?

Any one of us, if pushed far enough, could find ourselves in a situation where we take a life. What about those with mental illness, those who have suffered a breakdown or whatever? Does the fact that someone has snapped in a certain situation or under certain pressures make them an ongoing danger to society?

Not sure I could put a cross on a ballot paper giving someone else the power to make those decisions on my behalf.

[Alex MacLeod]

Lets just hang anyone who commits any crime. That way a mistake cant be made.

In all honesty though capital punishment is dangerous ground to get into. Many a mistake has been made and many a police officer has tampered with the facts just to get a conviction.

Paddy Meehan, Guilford Four, Birmingham Six. All found to be innoccent of the crimes they were originally convicted of after years of appeal and incarceration. All were convicted as a result of coersion and, in some cases, police brutallity and extortion of the facts. Imagine had they all been sentenced to death.

Edited March 28, 2010 by Alex MacLeod

[latviaman]

First let me say I honestly do not know where I stand on this issue.

I hear various pundits extolling the rights and wrong on this issue, I make decisions daily/ sometimes by the minute, but cannot decide on this.

Media frenzy surely puts untold pressure on the Police , ok going back to Alex's quoted cases, times I feel have changed dramatically DNA and Forensics have improved immensley since those days so? perhaps ? had it been today it would have never reached court.

This subject I feel will go on and on with good arguments from both sides. Meanwhile can I still sit on the fence!!!

[SMEE]

Lets just hang anyone who commits any crime. That way a mistake cant be made.

In all honesty though capital punishment is dangerous ground to get into. Many a mistake has been made and many a police officer has tampered with the facts just to get a conviction.

Paddy Meehan, Guilford Four, Birmingham Six. All found to be innoccent of the crimes they were originally convicted of after years of appeal and incarceration. All were convicted as a result of coersion and, in some cases, police brutallity and extortion of the facts. Imagine had they all been sentenced to death.

Lets look at it another way Alex. IF the police officers involved KNEW that their evidence could lead to hangings for the Birminghma 6 etc....maybe they wouldnt have been so keen to nail those they did, in the manner they did.

Be a lot harder to live with the death of 6 people on your conscience, knowing there was doubts (assuming it wasnt a frame up) rather than just put someone in jail to keep the public pacified. So i reckon all the motivation to get it right is already there for those involved.