Making his contributions to the social dialogue on the call for a reintroduction of death penalty, Jayagoda says, there have been many protests at various levels following the rape and murder of the girl Seya of Kotadeniyawa, with all calling for death penalty for child abuse.

Banners demand the hanging of rapists who sexually abuse women and children, with president Maithripala Sirisena saying that he will seek parliamentary permission to reintroduce death penalty.

Such responses by a society shaken by an incident can be understood, and the FSP is not against the community’s enthusiasm to prevent crime, but to mete out death penalty or other tortures for such crimes is a very primeval idea, says Jagoda.

Threats cannot prevent crime, he says, noting that countries punishing crime with cruel sentences have not seen a reduction in crime.

Address roots through political plan

Crime and other wrongs can be prevented through a political plan that addresses social roots for evil, he notes, adding that the problem cannot be solved by killing a few who had been mentally distorted by society itself to do such crime.

Everyone in society are respondents, he stresses, noting the saying, ‘Let him who is without sin cast the first stone’.