On April 17, Representative Tim Turner, R-Kinta, passed a bill that would add the death penalty as a punishment for anyone convicted of first offense of forcible sodomy, rape or rape by instrumentation of a child under the age of 14.
The bill was amended before being heard in the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee. Previously, a convicted person would face a 25-year term, and an offender could face a term of no less than 10 years. However, the bill will add the punishment of life imprisonment without parole or even death.
“Children who are victimized should never have to worry again that the person who harmed them will escape justice,” Turner said. “The cowards who commit these heinous acts against our youth deserve the maximum punishment allowed – death.”
The bill will act as a sentence modification measure for child rapists, as described by Turner.
The bill is now eligible for consideration on the House floor.
