News

The death penalty

MANY RESOLUTIONS, plans and wishes made last year did not materialise for various reasons.

Several persons, when asked what were their resolutions for 2004, said they did not think it worthwhile to make any.

"I wished for two things last year and not even one of them materialised," a 35-year-old woman who has been looking for a steady job for the last three years remarked. "I was hoping last year that I would get a steady job and the senseless killings would stop," she disclosed.

The woman explained further that she decided this year that it was a waste of time to make resolutions, plans or wishes because "the criminals seem to be in charge of our lives because they decide whether we live or die and the police are not able to take control of the situation."

A 40-year-old tailor said life was very rough for him last year and he did not see any improvement in the new year. "So I would be wasting time to make wishes," he added. "One just has to face the reality that life is tough in Jamaica and I really don't know what to expect," he said.

"Although the cost of living is high and there is a high rate of unemployment I would really like to see an end to the crime and violence this year," a 75-year-old woman said.

"I cannot understand why the murders cannot stop and people be free to walk and conduct their business without fear. People running their business to make a livelihood have to be living in fear of the criminals and this should not be so," she added.

The woman said many citizens are responsible for the murder rate because some of them knew the gunmen, witnessed murders and knew who the culprits were but had turned a blind eye to the situation. "It is time the citizens take charge of the situation by reporting illegal activities to the police so that the criminals can be charged and taken before the court," she said.

One man said the reason for the wanton killings was the fact that the government refused to hang the prisoners on death row although the law 'is clear' that they should be hanged. "So what is the use in sentencing them to death if the law is not being obeyed," he asked.

Section 3 (1) of the Offences against the Person Act states in part that "every person who is convicted of capital murder shall be sentenced to death and upon every such conviction the court shall pronounce sentence of death, and the same may be carried into execution as heretofore has been the practice."