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| X: 40 to 55. | |
There was hysteria in Sydney last night as the ringleader
of the series of ethnic-related gang-rapes was sentenced to 55 years in prison
for his crimes. The perpetrator's family and friends screamed that he was
innocent, while his victims rejoiced that they had finally won. The severity of the sentence is unprecedented in modern Australian judicial
history, and reflects both the outrage about the crime itself and the
frustration of the failure of two decades of political correctness. Few people
feel any sympathy for the perpetrator, and the thought of him spending not only
his youth but also his middle age in a cage may satisfies people's need to hit
back at a criminal who's obscenity defies understanding. However the precedent
is a dangerous one. A 55 year gaol sentence is greater than murder. Faced with a 55 year gaol
sentence, future rapists will just kill their victims. Few people would call this penalty too harsh, considering the crime, but
regardless of the level of disincentive, there will always be some level of
rape. If Australia wants to impose these kinds of sentences, she must
reintroduce the death penalty for murder. Otherwise we are condemning future rape victims to a death sentence.
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