Papua New Guinea bishops speak out against death penalty
May 15, 2013
Amid increasing violence, including the brutal murders of suspected sorcerers, Papua New Guinea is considering restoring the use of the death penalty, which is legal but has not been used since 1954.
The nation’s justice minister has called for capital punishment by hanging, life imprisonment without parole for rape, and a ban on alcohol sales for several hours each day.
The nation’s bishops have urged Prime Minister Peter O'Neill not to restore the use of the death penalty; Father Giorgio Licini, spokesman for the bishops’ conference, called for “life imprisonment joined to hard but redemptive labor.”
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Further information:
- "Hanging the criminals?": Intense debate on capital punishment (Fides)
- PNG says sorry for violence against women (AAP)
- Death penalty move expected in Papua New Guinea (TVNZ)
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