I was reading that a couple of months ago the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the child-rape death penalty in Louisiana. The case that overturned the law was that of Patrick Kennedy. The 43-year-old was sentenced to death for the rape of his 8-year-old stepdaughter. He is one of two people in the U.S., both in Louisiana, condemned to death for a rape not accompanied by a killing.

The Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a victim-advocacy group, shared the concern voiced by the court that the death penalty in such cases could endanger rather than protect children. They uphold that “making the punishment for child rape and murder equivalent, a state that punishes child rape by death may remove a strong incentive for the rapist not to kill the victim.”

The court said Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, and that “The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child.”

Forty-five states ban the death penalty for any kind of rape, and the other five states allow it for child rapists. Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas allow executions in such cases if the defendant had previously been convicted of raping a child.

I am 100% pro-life, and an opponent of the death penalty, but I always thought that having enforced the death penalty for child rape would discourage individuals from committing this type of crimes. That knowing the consequence of their actions would be death row would scare them away from even trying to commit these hideous crimes against children. So hearing the court’s opinion that imposing the death penalty on a child rapist will actually encourage them to kill the victim was something I never pondered.

Maybe the U.S. Supreme Court is right or maybe they are not. Which is best to help keep our children safe from sexual predators? To allow the death penalty for child rapists or not to allow it? and what punishment is proportional to the rape of a child? Just let the parents of the victim answer that one.

God forbids, this happens to your family, what kind of punishment would you like be enforced on the perpetrator?

Want to know how many registered sex offenders live near you? In your neighborhood, Children schools, Parks, and within a 20 to 30 miles ratios? On this Website, go to Helpful Resources on the far right, and click on SEXUAL PREDATOR SEARCH.