Unbelievable

[tiggerblue10]

I was reading the Metro the other day and it give figures on how many people had been executed around the world in 2008. I was also horrified to learn that 2 children had been executed.

The death penalty is bad enough but sentencing 2 children to death abhorrent. Does anyone know in which country this is allowed?

[hc4361]

Since 1990 Amnesty International has documented executions of child offenders in seven countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the USA
and Yemen. At least two of these countries, Pakistan and Yemen, have since changed their laws to exclude the practice.

[hc4361]

That was taken from an Amnesty International document, which you can read in full here
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ACT50/0 07/2002

Amnesty International is a hugely respected organisation, and you can trust their facts.

[hc4361]

This bit may be of particular interest to you
The country which has carried out more documented executions of child offenders than any other since 1990 is the USA.
In 1988 and 1989 the US Supreme Court ruled that the execution of people who were under 16 at the time of the crime was contrary to the US Constitution but that the execution of people aged 16 or 17 at the time of the crime was not.


I do remember a minority of British people demanding the death penalty for Jamie Bulger's killers at the time, so 'being British' doesn't necessarily make us any better. Thankfully our laws prohibit capital punishment.

[tiggerblue10]

Thank you Hc.

[tiggerblue10]

Just read that bit.

I remember the Jamie Bulger case and I remember wishing the killers would be sentenced for life. Life doesn't mean life though does it.

[paddywak]

In todays Express there is an article about the death penalty in China.There are about 70 offences that are considered to be worthy of the death sentence and that many executions are carried out that they now have buses that have been converted into mobile execution chambers, travelling round the country to carry out these sentences

[Sachs]

Hi tiggs! How are you? xxx
I remember reading this, I was shocked!! I think china came out with the highest number of executions?

[tiggerblue10]

Hi Sachs, I'm well thanks hun. Hope you are well too xxx

Its so very sad. I think that at 16 and under a child still doesn't know right from wrong (in my opinion anyway) but should still be sentenced for a long period of time to teach them a lesson. The boys that murdered Jamie Bulger were very young and treated Jamie like a doll. I still don't think they were sentenced for long enough and now they are free and rumoured to be living in Oz.

[Sachs]

Hi mrs!
I agree totally with your thoughts! xxx