A US lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to expand capital punishment to certain child sexual abuse crimes. Nancy Mace proposed the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act,” which would allow federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in specific cases involving minors.
The proposal aims to amend federal law and the military justice system to include harsher penalties for aggravated sexual abuse and related offences against children. Mace said the bill reflects a zero-tolerance stance toward crimes targeting minors.
However, the plan could face major legal hurdles. In 2008, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the death penalty for child rape where the victim does not die violates the Eighth Amendment, setting a strong precedent.
It remains unclear whether the measure has broad support in Congress. The legislation is expected to spark debate among lawmakers and legal experts over constitutional limits and criminal justice policy.
