Mississippi Adds Death Penalty for Child Abuse | Washington DC News

Mississippi just enacted a chilling new law: capital sexual battery, allowing the death penalty for adults who sexually assault children under 12. But it’s not automatic—juries must unanimously agree on two aggravating factors and have at least eight members recommend death, or the offender gets life without parole. Lawmaker Jeremy England defends it as the harshest punishment for the most heinous crimes against kids. Critics, however, warn it could deter victims from speaking up, especially if abusers are family members, and question whether the death penalty deters abuse—or just locks away offenders forever with life sentences already doing the job. Thank you to our sponsor Garrett Waller Performance: http://coaching.garrettwaller.com Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/fee107b9aa90bc52