Attorney at Law and outspoken Human Rights campaigner Mary Francis reiterated her opposition to the death penalty on Thursday, which marked the World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Francis, the National Centre for Legal Aid and Human Rights Executive Director, expressed that the death penalty was not a deterrent to murder.
“America has retained the death penalty, but look at what is going on in their society. It is not a deterrent at all,” she told St. Lucia Times.
The attorney at law acknowledged that capital punishment had become a taboo subject in Saint Lucia, with people clamouring for the execution of convicted murderers due to the country’s violent crime surge.
Nevertheless, Francis observed that over one hundred countries had abolished the death penalty, while Saint Lucia was one of some fifty states that retain it.
She noted that there have been no hangings in Saint Lucia since the 1980s.
“But with the rate of murders and a population bent on retaining the death penalty, who knows when the politicians can go ahead and hang one or two persons convicted of murder? That is why it is essential to continue the advocacy for the abolition,” Francis told St. Lucia Times.
” You cannot talk about preserving life and being against murder while the state continues to keep the death penalty as part of our law,” she asserted.
Francis called for conflict resolution education and other interventions to help address violent crime.
She also noted the important role the media could play in that regard.
Any third-party or user posts, comments, replies, and third-party entries published on the St. Lucia Times website (https://stluciatimes.com) in no way convey the thoughts, sentiments or intents of St. Lucia Times, the author of any said article or post, the website, or the business. St. Lucia Times is not responsible or liable for, and does not endorse, any comments or replies posted by users and third parties, and especially the content therein and whether it is accurate.
St. Lucia Times reserves the right to remove, screen, edit, or reinstate content posted by third parties on this website or any other online platform owned by St. Lucia Times (this includes the said user posts, comments, replies, and third-party entries) at our sole discretion for any reason or no reason, and without notice to you, or any user. For example, we may remove a comment or reply if we believe it violates any part of the St. Lucia Criminal Code, particularly section 313 which pertains to the offence of Libel. Except as required by law, we have no obligation to retain or provide you with copies of any content you as a user may post, or any other post or reply made by any third-party on this website or any other online platform owned by St. Lucia Times. All third-parties and users agree that this is a public forum, and we do not guarantee any confidentiality with respect to any content you as a user may post, or any other post or reply made by any third-party on this website. Any posts made and information disclosed by you is at your own risk.
