US Congresswoman, Nancy Mace has introduced legislation that would allow the federal government to impose the de@th penalty on people convicted of raping or sexually assaulting children.
The bill, titled the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act, is intended to expand capital punishment eligibility to several federal child s£x crime statutes and to the rape of a child under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to the press release.
“We have zero mercy for child rapists,” Mace said in a statement. “Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequences we can deliver. No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children.”
The proposal would amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to authorize capital punishment for aggravated s£xual abuse of a child, sexual abuse of a minor, and abusive sexual contact involving a child. It would also apply to childrape offenses prosecuted in the military justice system.
Mace framed the legislation as part of her broader effort to increase accountability for s£xual abuse crimes, pointing to her calls for transparency surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case and for consequences for anyone who “conspired or collaborated” with the convicted s£x trafficker
The bill is expected to draw significant legal and political scrutiny.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that imposing the death penalty for the rape of a child where the victim does not die violates the Eighth Amendment, a precedent that could complicate any attempt to expand capital punishment for such crimes. Mace did not address the ruling in her announcement.
It was not immediately clear whether the measure has support from House GOP leadership or whether companion legislation will be introduced in the Senate.