Death Penalty Requested for Kidnappers

Felipe Calderón Asks for Death Penalty for Kidnappers

This article appeared in La Opción on August 7, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

NOTE: The phrase ''cadena perpétua,'' used in the original article (literally, ''perpetual chain''), is sometimes translated as ''death penalty, and sometimes translated as ''life sentence.''

Los Pinos – August 7, 2008 – President Felipe Calderón announced a new initiative he will send to Congress to introduce capital punishment for kidnappers who are or have been policemen, who plagued people with disabilities and minors, for those maimed or killed their victims and for those who want to take minors out of the country for profit.

Referring to the kidnapping and murder of 14 year old Fernando Marti, a federal agent said that it was urgent that the authorities do their job to fight crime and curb impunity.

"This cowardly act reflects the urgency of putting an end to the impunity with which criminal gangs operate, is an significant act representing thousands of people in Mexico have suffered crimes which remain unpunished," he said.

The Executive recalled that in March last year an initiative was sent Congress to toughen punishment for kidnappers and announced that prompted lawmakers to resume his proposal to "analyze the proposal and my government to penalize with greater force, including the death penalty. "

"It is necessary to stop those for whom cruelty knows no bounds," said a message from his official residence in Los Pinos.

Accompanied by the Attorney General of the Republic, Eduardo Medina Mora, Calderón reiterated his call so that, regardless of political affiliations,agreements will be reached to strengthen the fight against crime.

"This requires us to agree and we join in the fight against crime and society and do the work that we have not done.

"The damage to society requires drastic measures, requires on the one hand that we dispense with the impunity of investigation of crimes and on the other hand that punishments be trully prohibitive," he said.

The head of the Federal Executive reiterated his request for state and municipal governments to modernize and purge their police agencies to improve coordination with federal authorities.