SVG PM GONSALVES SAYS MANY HAVE CHOSEN LIFE OF CRIME; SUPPORTS DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDERERS
By Jenique Belgrave
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is making his stance clear on the controversial topic of the death penalty.
“For crimes of murder, other than a crime of passion, you should get the death penalty,” he said.
“I know the Europeans don’t like that. They had it for a long time, and they may not want to give aid if you bring it back, but I am satisfied, being a legal practitioner for many years, that most of the people who do killings are cowards. Never mind this macho thing which they may present. They are absolute cowards and we should have that as a particular option in the punishment schedule and for the courts not to make it very well nigh impossible to carry out the death penalty,” he said, while accusing many judges, and magistrates of being “too soft”.
Earlier in his presentation to those gathered at the Trinidad Hyatt Regency for the ‘Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue’ Regional Symposium, Gonsalves urged persons to stop blaming a person’s circumstances for a decision to perform a criminal act.
“Most of them have overwhelmingly chosen the life of crime. Let us not get away from that. They have chosen to be murderers, they have chosen to kill and they do so, by and large, because they want to make some easy money. They are involved in drugs. Some of them in order for them to maintain ranks in the community, they get a fascination with guns. They associate with beautiful young women who are high maintenance and they have to rob and steal and kill and deal with drugs in order to maintain them. Everybody here knows what I’m talking about is the absolute truth. Everybody knows it and we have to speak these things very honestly and straightforwardly. These young males who commit these violent crimes, they’re cowards, they are greedy, and they’re in a permanent condition of dissatisfaction,” he said.
Gonsalves pointed out that there are many young males from poor homes involved in positive community activities. It comes down to choice, he said.
The PM also advised churches to stop using scare tactics in trying to encourage the youth to stay on the narrow path, insisting they “preach better” to gain this group’s attention.
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