Do you think the penalty for murder should be death by hanging?
The vivacious Neisa Pipersburgh met a horrific death. Neisa was murdered within days after she had graduated from Pallotti High School. Her murder has stunned the entire community because it now seems that crime has gone far beyond the level of the usual violence among gangs. Many citizens think that the system is too soft on crime. Tonight we ask the question: Do you think that the penalty for murder should be death by hanging? Get involved by emailing your comments and responses to questions@channel5belize.com or by sending a text, using SMART phones only, to 8686. You can also participate in our online poll at www.channel5belize.com.
We’ve being requesting death by hanging for almost an year now and Mr Barrow seems to be ignoring our request.Lets hope that the e-Poll will make a difference.
If death by hanging doesn’t deter the criminal element of Bze at least we’ll get rid of most of them but the way Mr. Barrow is dragging his feet i will not be surprised if he doesn’t pass a law until the year before general elections to see if he can generate some votes to stay on as prime minister.
DEATH to all murderers, rapists, and child molesters.
Hanging to death will bring more chaose. if we check back in our history books we can see when death penalty was implemented more than just the hanging caused deaths. this means that when people are convicted and hang their relatives will not stay like that. therefore in order to avoid other deaths its better to punish and keep them in jail than letting them loose.
I believe so…to get a message across to all the murderers and those who get away with murder. The streets will be a lot safer and also it will bring a peace of mind to the grieving family.
I as a belizean even tho im in the U.S. agree 100% percent with the death penalty, my only concern is, is that the law is so corrupted that innocent people can be charge for something that they never did, if they can prove with out any doubt that the so call perpretraiter is the one that did the crime then by all means they should be punish to the full extent of the law. When u have no regards for human lives then the law shouldn’t have regards to ur life either, so Mr. Barrow belize is in ur hand an i know it’s not u alone that make the choices so to all the leaders out there it’s time for u to make a change within our country,so start doing an making the change, words are words it’s easy to say what u have plan to do, but by start taking action an having result is the most important fact of the matter. IT’S TIME FOR A BETTER BELIZE.
The year is 2010 and the “hanging” of a human-being has died out over 100 years ago. Belize is a country that is in need of a lot o9f change, And although the chnage is highly needed, I believe that hanging an individual for a crime would be taking 10 takes backwards rather than the 100 steps forward which Belize needs to take to make the country a better and more safe place for people to live. Killing is a crime and death should not be the punishment. I strongly believe that a life sentence in jail will be a more meaningful punishment than death. Lets not think about the murderer, lets the about the murderers family who will suffer the loss of their loved one, just like the victims family may have. Does two grieving families bring justice to anyone?
For people including corrupt public officials who take the lives of people like it’s nothing,
they should get like how they do it in Utah, death by firing squad. YHWH
I definately think that hanging should be brought back. There has been way too many killings gone without justice and its past time for us to step up as Belizeans and do something. My friend Elbert Pope a single father and coworker was killed and so far there has been nothing coming from the justice side. Operation Jaguar needs to be shoved somewhere that the sun doesnt shine and bring on an operation hanging. Maybe then we wont be afraid to walk our streets again.
Belize our beautiful country has been investied with heartless people who dont appreciate and don’t know the value of life. I’m sure that everyone knows someone who has been affected and deeply scared due to violence and meaningless muders. Gods word says the Wages of Sin is Death. Paying the price for your actions seems fair, doesnt it? Death by hanging will not only get rid of these ignorant people but make ignorant people think twice before they harm and hurt an innocent person. I firmly believe that our government has played a huge roll in our increase of crime and violence. People who care of there own well being and not the well being of our country on a whole. How could a person call himself our Leader if he doesn’t agree and listen to our voices or even have something to say about it…. Are you there….can you hear…… LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE… and close your ears to money for once! Death by hanging or electricution if that makes u feel better! ..>>>>>>And to Britnae McFadzean > What good is one grieving family and one mudered on the streets…. a cycle that will never end!!!
Britnae
Does two grieving families bring justice to anyone?
I think that it won’t bring justice to me but a huge relief to the victim’s family seeing that the murderer has been eliminated from the streets before it cause more than two grieving families.
not being disrespectful to you but it’s my own personal idea.
Yeah, bring back, no implement the death penalty. Once the accused have exhausted all his legal options; court of appeals, CCJ etc,etc… bruk sohn neck!!!. That dah the only way cold blooded killers will get the sense. How often have we not heard boastful words like, “Ah wah kill u ahn go siddung wah few years dah jail fi yuh”. That would be a whole different conversation if the would be killer knew that he will lose HIS life, if he take somebody else’s.
I support the death penalty because God supports the death penalty.
Hello Belize! I’m not a Belizean, but I am married to a Belizean. I have served Belize as a Christian missionary since 1998. I used to live in the Cayo district. We now live in the states.
The Old Testament law commanded the death penalty for various acts: murder (Exodus 21:12), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), bestiality (Exodus 22:19), adultery (Leviticus 20:10), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), being a false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:5), prostitution and rape (Deuteronomy 22:24), and several other crimes. However, God often showed mercy when the death penalty was due. David committed adultery and murder, yet God did not demand his life be taken (2 Samuel 11:1-5, 14-17; 2 Samuel 12:13). Ultimately, every sin we commit should result in the death penalty because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Thankfully, God demonstrates His love for us in not condemning us (Romans 5:8).
We must remember that God has instituted capital punishment in His Word; therefore, it would be presumptuous of us to think that we could institute a higher standard. God has the highest standard of any being; He is perfect. This standard applies not only to us but to Himself. Therefore, He loves to an infinite degree, and He has mercy to an infinite degree. We also see that He has wrath to an infinite degree, and it is all maintained in a perfect balance.
Second, we must recognize that God has given government the authority to determine when capital punishment is due (Genesis 9:6; Romans 13:1-7). It is unbiblical to claim that God opposes the death penalty in all instances. Christians should never rejoice when the death penalty is employed, but at the same time, Christians should not fight against the government’s right to execute the perpetrators of the most evil of crimes.
An addition to my post above:
Even though the Bible permits capital punishment, it lays down strict guidelines to keep judgment from being unfair or excessive. Punishment must be commensurate with the crime (Exodus 21:23-25). It must be based on certainty of guilt (Deuteronomy 17:6). It must result from premeditated intent (Numbers 35:22-24). There must be due process; cities of refuge were provided to protect the accused until trial (Numbers 35). Fairness and justice must prevail regardless of wealth or reputation (Exodus 23:6,7). Restraint should be exercised in imposing the death penalty (Ezekiel 33:11).
Hey Missionary, so your God is a pretty sick fella.
Ha! Even if you implement the death penalty, hangings will be few, since we can’t seem to really convict anyone of murder anyway. The death penalty will be a joke.
Look at the numbers of individuals in Hattieville for murder at the table on Hattieville Prison’s Web site: http://www.kolbe.bz/main/index.php?section=20
You think hanging one, two, four, 10 people will make some dramatic difference?
In the heat of the moment, you think the killer is actually thinking, hmmm.. maybe I shouldn’t kill this girl because I’ll get arrested, and then when I go to court, I’ll be found guilty, and then I will be sentenced to death etc. etc. BS! Most killers act in the heat of the moment without any thought about the consequences.
Death by hanging should be brought back. If you think death by hanging is a 100 year old and so on…Then you must be living in a space bubble somewhere in the milky way… Utah just executed a guy by firing squad, Cali, Tex, Fla don’t play with this sick murderers they get the leathal injection.
The problem with hippies is that they want to change the world but the only thing they are good for is smoking pot and smelling bad.
Maybe death by hanging won’t even work.I just remember that we are looking at a 7% conviction rate.
Firstly, in order to impose a capital sentence we must first gain a conviction.
Secondly hardened criminals do not fear the death penalty they deal with the threat of death on a daily basis and have no respect for human life.
Beef up the prosecution service and give the people the same chance as the criminal. At present our criminals have top flight top notch attorneys we, the people are represented by a police constable. Hardly seems like a fair fight to me!
“At present our criminals have top flight top notch attorneys we, the people are represented by a police constable. Hardly seems like a fair fight to me!” — Love it, Sam Browne.
I AGREE THAT THEY SHOULD HANG ALL CRIMINALS, I.E RAPIST,CHILD MOLESTERS,MURDERES, AND THIEVES!! BECAUSE WHEN THEY CONVICT THEM THEY GO TO JAIL,GET FAT,CLEAN CLOTHES, AND HAVE ALOT OF TIME TO THINK WHAT WILL BE THERE OTHER MOVE WHEN THEY COME OUT. ONCE U DO ANY OF OFFENCE U WILL BE TEMPTED TO DO WORST! SO HANG THEM HIGH!!! OR U THINK THAT MORE GRENADES WOULD HELP ELIMINATE THEM!!! THE SAD THING IS THAT HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED,HENCE EVERYTHING BOILS DOWN TO THE GOVERNMENT!!
Death by Hanging or Firing Squad might not deter many, if done behind closed doors. make the execution public, and you’ll see how brave the street thugs are after the first!!!!!!!
Introduce 3 strikes for lesser crimes, and extremely harsh sentences for violent or sexual crimes (Including, in fact especially crimes against women & children) – Minimum 15 years without parole.
If convicted of possession of an unlicenced firearm, ammunition etc. Harsher penalties – 10 years for each weapon, then add 2 for each round of ammunition – not to run concurrently.
Drug smuggling or supplying of Class A drugs should also carry 10-15 year sentences, and depending on how much was involved (Over 5 Kg, for example), the Death Penalty should also be considered. It is time to make the penalties outweigh the potential profits! Plus, unless in the very unlikely event of Cannabis being legalised in this country – Possession of this drug should carry heavier fines or minimum of 2 years jail. It is a dangerous drug, not as bad as Crack, Coke or Heroin, but dangerous all the same, is also illegal, so it’s use should be deterred.
Finally, CORRUPTION! Those, in the very unlikely event of ever, ever being convicted of this crime, should face life imprisonment, and the state should seize ALL assets of the person convicted, home & abroad. That money should then be used in helping those that need it, rather than allowing people rob from everyone!
Oh, and prison should be hard labour, and not the holiday camp that it is now under Kolbe! Yes – rehabilitation of offenders should be important for those who will be released back into society, but they are there to be punished for their crimes, and the punishment should fit the crime. So there would be no point in education or rehabilitating those on life sentences, or who, on eventual release will be too old to work..
Just my two pennies worth. No doubt nobody in the government will read this anyway, let alone take any on board, for the benefit and protection of Belizeans. After all – they get 24/7 security and protection anyway!!!!!!!!!
just use whatever works…..
the gov aint doing …..thats the reason y criminals doing what they doing.
All those who support capital punishment will do so until it is one of your family members who are wrongly convicted of a crime. I strongly oppose capital punishment. However I want to see people convicted with life sentences, hard labour etc.
Life should definitely mean life without the possibility of ever having the chance of parole. Therefore one would just rot in jail, and have the opportunity to think long and hard on their actions and watch their life completely wasted. If we kill them, it will not be a punishment to them really, its a cop out for them.
The US has capital punishment in many of its States, however the prison population is approximately two million strong. Therefore I don’t think capital punishment is a deterrent for these psychopaths. Lets give them the toughest sentences and watch them rot to death. Lets face it, I can’t imagine the prison in Belize would have half the facilities of those in the US or the UK, (may I just make it very clear, I have never been to prison) and so life would be rightfully very tough for these criminals.
Hang all those thugs that are turning our beautiful country into a endless pit of despair!
yeSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Just instituting the death penalty would help, someone mentioned the conviction rate of 7 percent, but the conviction rate will be low when people are afraid of later retaliation. When the public has the reassurance that when they testify truthfully to what they have seen and the ultimate result for the crime committed would be the death penalty, people will not be afraid to come forth as witnesses to what they have seen..
Why is someone penalized for a joint but a murderer does not have to show where the money he is using to pay the “top flight” attorney coming from. How many of these attorneys have blood on their hands. Even broke murderers get off because of witness intimidation. Our conviction rate will increase when our laws & practices reflect our reality. I will chip in for the rope, bullets or electric chair.
People, let’s not equate a family grieving over the dead body of a productive member of society with that of a convicted murderer who has terrorized the community & often their own families. Maybe we should start billing the families for the rope & bullets & cleaning up the mess when their lying …. stand in front of the camera talking about their murdering saint of a son or brother.
A study in the States a few years back showed that 38% of murder convicts had committed FOUR OR MORE murders. Those were professional criminals who took advantage of the easy American “revolving door” justice system. About half of all murders were the work of a small number of such evil people, and the other half were one-off killings, usually between family members and friends in a drunken fight. My guess the situation is the same in Belize. I think it is a matter of national security to execute such professional criminals. Hang the 100 worst criminals in Belize, and crime will drop by more than half, the whole country will be safer, and children might have a future.
I am so disappointed in the direction of the country and I strongly (100%) blame the politicians who seem to only be focusing on their pockets; well being and what they can gain. The state of Belize should not have come to this point, if they had taken the time to nip these uncalled and atrocious behavior in hand years ago things may have been different. People, no matter who or what religion need to be held accountable; if the police is corrupt what do you expect, they are of no help!!!!! Like I stated some weeks ago. I used to vacation home yearly as of this year for the first time that will never ever happen anytime in the near future, it will be a cold day in hell before I set foot back in my once beloved jewel “Belize”
It is a great dilemma to consider whether or not death by hanging is an appropriate deterrent for crime. The crime situation in Belize is causing chaos in communities around the country—I agree. However, i believe death by hanging would not change the minds of people set on their actions. Consider..people are being educated on a daily basis about HIV being transmitted mainly through sexual activity. They know it is a deadly disease but yet still HIV/AIDS is on the increase even though preventative methods are available. This comes to show that people are caught up in their immediate gratification rather than the outcome and consequences of their actions. Crime will not stop unless that mentality can be changed.
Niesha; I kinda see where you are going with morals and the HIV/AIDS situation, however, I dont think we can truely compare ones that are seeking sexual gratification with the callousnes of a cold blooded killer. See, being HIV positive is not necessarily a death sentence but when nine caps from a 9mm is pumped into an individual, thats usually it.
I will not pretend to have the answer to the MESS thats overtaken the place. What i do know though is that something needs to be done to STOP all this violence and disregard for human life that has overtaken the country. Maybe…………just maybe hanging one a two ah dehn will help. Right about now……….anything, mi lee Sista that would ease this pain…….Okay??
I am waiting for the PM to ask the Belizean people to vote for or against the death penalty.
Belize will be forever a poor country because. no tourist in their right mind will want to visit Belize like myself. This means NO NEW REVENUE.
Apparently the citizens of Belize are asking themselves, am I safe LIVING IN BELIZE?.
Even though I don’t feel instituting the death penalty will solve all the crime problems, it will certainly prevent murderers from taking another innocent life and send the message “Enough is Enough”.
At the moment the justice system is a joke!
If not by hanging then there are plenty other options out there like most of you listed already. Those human rights groups are only using excuses in order to ensure that the government doesn’t impliment it. Yea, hanging might be a lil primative but there are much more modern ways of putting murderers out of their misery. As long as the dogs are put down, it doesn’t matter how and in which way as long as they are wiped off the face of the earth………..
I am totally in favor of this type of ponishment. I think this is the only way that those people living among us today that don’t realize the importance of our love ones to us will maybe think twice or stop what there are doing all together.
I agree, hanging may not be the solution; but it is certainly a deterrent. For clear non-controversial convictions, make the execution a speedy one. Don’t keep them sitting and waiting for 25 years and then kill them- doing so just makes the punishment seem all the more inhumane, especially if the offender ‘rehabilitates’ himself.
Yes, do publicize the event. Again, it won’t make the serial killer any less motivated, but it will certainly make the 21yr old gang member think trice before shooting in a crowded park. Premeditated crimes, or crimes of passion may go largely unaffected by such punishment; but certainly the whimsical crimes will see a clear reduction.
Don’t execute them in a manner of ‘revenge’, because we don’t want to encourage the notion of ‘martyrdom’. But rather do so indifferently, applying the law of justice.
Someone else also gave some other areas where punishments should be much harsher- e.g political corruption, judicial corruption, rape, theft, etc etc.
Make the process more transparent, make the records more transparent, and you will even see that there are many politicians who stand to gain from the strife of the civilians.
Perhaps forums such as these are healthy for discussion, but many times it may simply be a way of diffusing the general public’s anger and frustration with their leaders. And while such containment may be a necessary good, it can also be used as a cage to alienate and manipulate the public.
In the u.s. a lot of gang members have powerful weapons. However, the ratio of police officers being killed is relatively low. The reason is that killers know that if they kill an officer, the entire force will come down on them and their neighborhood. The perpetrator will be found dead in prison and will be reported as a suicide. These actions are effective deterrants in the U.S. If killers knew for sure that they would feel the wrath of the Belizean police force and army and face certain death, they would not value the life of their fellow countryman with minimal regard. When there is no doubt that an individual killed another, like the brazen cases today, the death penalty should be enforced, quickly. Within a week of conviction.
YES i think the death penalty should be enforce and make it very quickly
Belize need some peace & justice for all those families that have been through a lot of raw situation and pain. I bet that the moment the Government decides to Pop- Some- Neck, (hanging). All this crime stupidity will come to an end. Mr. Barrow, start doing something soon. Or our little beautiful Belize will go from GRACE TO GRASS AND FROM GRASS TO …………
Susie G.