Hanging will continue in St. Kitts, declares PM Douglas

By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-THE Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, has stated that his government will not desist in using capital punishment, despite the appeals of the human rights organisation Amnesty International.

Following the December 19, 2008 hanging of Charles Elroy Laplace for the murder of his wife, Amnesty International issued a release saying that the use of capital punishment by the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis was “a shameless human rights development for the country after 10 years of moratorium”.

Speaking on his weekly radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister”, Douglas said that condemnation of Laplace’s hanging would have no effect as a deterrent to the hanging of other death row inmates.

“Amnesty International has its own concerns, but we also have to remember that we are carrying out what still remain in the law books of our country. Capital punishment is there…and constitutionally we follow what is expected in a case of this kind.

“Let me just simply say that we do not take any credit here for taking a life, but at the same time we are a community and a country of laws that we must adhere to.” ~~Adz:Right~~

The Prime Minister said that because Laplace had received every opportunity afforded to him by the law to have his sentence overturned and was still ordered to be executed, there was no other option to be followed.

“Once all of those things have taken place and at the end of the day it becomes necessary to carry out capital punishment, then of course we can do nothing less than that.”

Though there has been great public criticism from the Federation’ populace against Amnesty International’s suggestion to commute the sentences of the remaining eight men on death row at Her Majesty’s Prison, Douglas said their request still had to be listened to as part of a democratic society.

“Amnesty International has its work to do, and we here in St. Kitts-Nevis have our work to do. Of course, we could never be oblivious of what the world thinks of us because we are a part of the global community.”