Supreme Court Decline Death Penalty for Child Rape

The lethal punishment for child rape was unauthorized as it reached a 5-to-4 decision against it. This decision was verified in up to 6 states on June 25, 2008. Some of the reasons as to oppose death penalty for such horrid acts against a child is simply because, and quoted—"The death penalty is not a comparative punishment for the rape of a child" another reason is because—"the victim's life was not taken". The court even worked past the inquiry in this case to rule out the death penalty for any individual crime.

This case was based on one of two men, in Louisiana, who were charged with death penalty to permanent life in prison. In 1998, Patrick Kennedy was condemned of viciously and inhumanly raping his stepdaughter, who was just 8 years old.

To Justice Kennedy, allowing the death penalty for child rape allows for implementation to be measured in fewer rigorous rape cases. He states that a few less brutal cases are sure enough to slip in the course. Patrick Kennedy's stepdaughter was so badly injured she required urgent surgery.

The court pointed out that death penalty for child rape could actually harm children and not thoroughly protect them since the majority of the child raping is caused by a relative or a relatives friend and if death penalty was added the victim would choose to remain quiet; thus making rape even more underreported.

What about cruel and unusual punishment against the child victim? The older I get, the more I learn that our so-called system of justice really does not serve the people. It's entirely uneven, filled with corruption and ineptitude, and is nowhere near fair or just.