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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 17.
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DEATH PENALTY: THREE-YEAR TRIAL PERIOD ADVOCATED
X X X X X X
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THE HON. MRS. JOYCE SYMONS TODAY ASKED WHY THE CARRYING OUT OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN HONG KONG COULD NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR A TRIAL PERIOD OF ABOUT THREE YEARS AS A POSSIBLE MEANS TO DETER VIOLENT CRIME.
SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SHE SAID: +SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN THE COMMONWEALTH AND TO THE COMMONWEALTH SINCE THE WAR, SO MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HONG KONG TO DECIDE FOR ITSELF IN MATTERS OF TRADE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE MATTER BEING SERIOUSLY RECONSIDERED CANNOT BE RULED OUT.+
THE ORDINARY MAN IN THE STREET, SHE SAID, COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD NOT BE IMPOSED AND CARRIED OUT IN CERTAIN CASES, NOR THE CONTENTION THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD AND COULD DO NOTHING IN ALLOWING HONG KONG TO DECIDE THIS FOR ITSELF.
MRS. SYMONS NOTED THAT WHILE THERE APPEARED TO BE LITTLE DEFINITE PROOF ANYWHERE THAT THE DEATH PENALTY COULD BE A DETERRENT +EQUALLY THERE IS LITTLE PROOF THAT IT CANNOT BE SUCH,+
+WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT PARTICULARLY BLOODTHIRSTY,+ SHE SAID, BUT MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT VIOLENT CRIME COULD BE GREATLY REDUCED WITH AN EFFECTIVE DEATH PENALTY,
+THE INABILITY TO DEAL ADEQUATELY WITH MURDERERS THE HIGH STANDARD OF OUR PRISONS, AND THE INADEQUACY OF MANY SENTENCES HAVE MOST CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE RATHER CAVALIER ATTITUDE TOWARDS VIOLENT CRIME AND DISTASTEFUL CRIME LIKE RAPE, AND MASS-RAPE AT THAT, SHE SAID.
SHE WONDERED WHETHER HONG KONG COULD EXPECT MORE VIOLENCE NOW THAT BIG NARCOTIC GANGS HAD BEEN SMASHED AND SMALL OPERATORS SCATTERED, BUT IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS APPREHENSION, SHE SAID, THERE WAS THE GREATEST ADMIRATION FOR THE GOVERNMENT SERVANTS CONCERNED IN DEALING SO EFFECTIVELY WITH DRUG PEDLARS.
MRS. SYMONS DID NOT SHARE THE APPREHENSION, HOWEVER, THAT THE POWERS OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION WERE TOO WIDE AND OPEN TO ABUSE. SHE WAS GRATIFIED TO HEAR FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE THAT HIS FORCE WAS NOT BEING DEMORALISED AND THAT IT WOULD BE FURTHER EXPANDED.
IN THE CARE OF THE YOUNG, MRS. SYMONS TOLD PARENTS TO FACE UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND NOT TO EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO DO EVERYTHING.
/THE WHOLE
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