Mary Francis Reiterates Opposition To The Death Penalty

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....