a deadly debate

Eight paragraphs. Buried  in the Herald Sun this week.

It concerned the fate of two young fishermen in Thailand. They pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of a young British backpacker. It happened less than three weeks ago. They have already been sentenced to death.

I am not saying that they don’t deserve to die but I haven’t heard a squeak out of the do-gooders who protested against the execution of Nguyen Tuong Van in Singapore. They called for a boycott of Singapore Airlines. And Singapore products. Held a memorial service for him in Richmond. Even former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth and some politicians attended the service.

I think I said at the time – don’t buy American products then because more than thirty states there have the death penalty. And don’t buy a t-shirt from China because they execute more criminals than, I think, any country.

We are hypocrites. If any of the Bali Nine get convicted – as some will – and get sentenced to death there will be pages of coverage in our newspapers. But the two rapist killers in Bangkok are only Asians. Not even Australian Asians.

But it does reignite the capital punishment debate. Some opponents to the death penalty, under any circumstances for any crime, sincerely believe in clemency.

People like the Rev. Tim Costello and Victorian Attorney General Rob Hulls. They would not, could not, condone the death penalty even for the barbaric dictator Saddam Hussein or the Bali bombers who killed more than 200 people including 88 Australians.

Every state in Australia has rejected capital punishment and the last person executed in this country was Ronald Ryan here in Victoria.

I believe that if a referendum on capital punishment were held across this country most states would vote in favour. I suspect the YES vote could be as high as 70%.

There would have to be checks and balances so that an innocent man or woman did not die – as has happened in the past.

My proposition would be that a panel of, say, three High Court judges would sit on a clemency or condemnation board. They would evaluate all the evidence. If there were any doubts then the black cap would not be put on.

But in the case of mass murderers like Martin Bryant and Julian Knight there is no doubt about their crimes. I would not call for the death penalty in cases of domestic violence – as cruel and savage as it can be. By I would for people who killed Police or prison warders or abducted and raped and killed children.

I have had this debate many times on radio and television and around the dinner table. And I say: “I know all the arguments against capital punishment.  For 25 years I was totally opposed to it.” And then I read the autopsy report on nurse Anita Cobby who was abducted, gang-raped, had an eye gouged out and then had her throat cut.

You tell me how those callous killers have any right to remain in any civilised community.

One of my hardest times on the Midday show on the Nine Network was when I interviewed the parents of six young women (and children) who had been assaulted and killed.

One image that will always stick in my mind is from a mother who told me that when they found her daughter – she had been raped and drowned – they found a bunch of grass clenched in her hand as if she was desperately trying to cling to life.

There was a young woman in that gang rapists’ car. What did she do? She stole the victim’s credit card and used it.

It will be interesting to see the Australian reaction if/when the Bali bombers are executed – or if any of the Bali Nine face the firing squad.

Prime Minister Howard is opposed to the death penalty. Here. Very few politicians have put their hands up to protest  against the death penalties handed down in Indonesia against the Bali bombers. They know that calling for clemency for men who killed 88 Australians could mean their own political death.

I used to be a member of Amnesty International. Did free endorsements in newspaper advertisements for them. That was because Amnesty International was formed to protest against the incarceration of political prisoners. It was a great and worthy cause. It brought to the world the suffering of people who had been jailed for their thoughts and political beliefs.

But then AI changed. And I quit. They started international campaigns against the death penalty for any crime. I remember, as I quit AI was calling for clemency for a man convicted of a brutal rape and murder of an elderly woman in Florida. And I thought that’s not what Amnesty is all about.

I talked to Rev Tim Costello on 3AW this week. One of his arguments  against capital punishment was that “ we are all created in God’s image”. I pointed out that I am an atheist and was certainly not created in God’s image.

And then I thought about the Anita Cobby killers and thought if what the reverend says is true then – so help me God.

January 22, 2006

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2006