South Australia debates death penalty
By Arun Pradhan
ADELAIDE — Reintroduction of the death penalty in South Australia is supported by at least 14 opposition members of parliament. Liberal backbencher Dorothy Kotz plans to use a petition signed by 1400 people as a basis for presenting legislation or calling for a referendum.
"Where the crime is premeditated and the circumstances were particularly cruel and violent, the death penalty must be an option", Kotz recently commented in the Advertiser.
The last execution in Australia occurred in 1976. Ronald Joseph Ryan was hanged after being found guilty of killing two of his fellow prisoners.
Several of the jurors later said that they would have given a different verdict had they known Ryan would be killed. Thus one argument against the death penalty is that it may actually prevent guilty verdicts.
Speaking to 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, Michael Puckridge of Amnesty International said, "There is no evidence that the death penalty provides a unique deterrent. Indeed, many studies actually show a rise in homicide rates after executions."
The homicide rate per capita in Australia has decreased since capital punishment was abolished. The USA still has executions in many states and has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Texas, which has executed more people than any other state, had a record number of homicides in 1991, 11% more than in 1990.
The death penalty can also be criticised on its finality. A judicial review in the USA found that 40 people sentenced to death since 1972 were later shown to be innocent.
There is great inconsistency in the application of capital punishment, depending on factors such as race and legal representation. In the USA nearly everyone presently on death row belongs to a minority race, is poor or is mentally ill or retarded.
In South Australia over 30% of the people executed were Aboriginals, despite Aborigines representing just over 1% of Australia's population. In the state of Georgia, USA, you are seven times more likely to be sentenced to death for killing a white person than for killing a black person.
Commenting on the debate, Melanie Sjoberg, Democratic Socialist candidate for Hindmarsh, said "Killing people as a means to crime prevention is remarkably short sighted and superficial. It ignores the deeper social issues that cause such problems." More effort should be spent combating the reasons for crime rather than simply getting revenge after the act.