On this day, 22 January 1988,
English Child Killer, Colin Pitchfork was sentenced to life imprisonment for
the rape and murder of two girls. I will post an article from one of his
victims’ mother, Kath Eastwood. Let us not forget the two girls he murdered.
 |
| Kath Eastwood |
Mother of
murdered schoolgirl backs the death penalty for child killers
Saturday,
August 06, 2011
The mother of a murdered schoolgirl
has backed a campaign to bring back the death penalty for child killers.
Kath Eastwood says capital punishment
should be restored to protect the public from the likes of notorious murderer
Colin Pitchfork.
Pitchfork
raped and murdered Mrs Eastwood's 15-year-old daughter, Lynda Mann, near her
home in Narborough in 1983.
He
went on to kill another 15-year-old, Dawn Ashworth, three years later.
Mrs
Eastwood, 62, from Braunstone, yesterday said Pitchfork should have been
executed for the crimes.
He
is currently serving a 30-year minimum prison sentence.
She
spoke out following the submission of an online petition to the Government by
right-wing political blogger Paul Staines.
It
calls for the death penalty to be imposed on child murderers and the killers of
on-duty police officers.
She
said: "I have always felt he should have been executed for what he did. I
have no doubt about that.
"I
am not really a religious person, but I do believe in an eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth.
"If
someone is prepared to take another life, they should be aware they could lose
their own. It would be a deterrent.
"I
think it's important to protect people from murderers, because I do not believe
that they can reform.
"Once
they are released from prison, there is the risk they could do it again.
"Pitchfork
has already murdered two girls and he will always be a danger as long as he is
alive.
"I
believe that it should be punishment over reform every time.
"There
are killers who, if they got the opportunity, would kill again but the death
penalty would prevent that.
"I
have always been in favour of capital punishment even before Lynda's murder,
but what happened to her reinforced how I felt."
Pitchfork
was the first killer to be caught using DNA testing and Mrs Eastwood said the
technique eliminated doubt in cases.
She
said: "That is important because, while DNA can prove guilt, it can also
prove innocence.
"It
removes the doubt and there would have to be certainty of guilt for an
execution.
"It
may sound terrible, but, in the long run, it would also save the country a
fortune. I heard it costs £40,000 a year to keep a person in prison."
If
the petition is signed by 100,000 people, it will automatically trigger a
parliamentary debate on the issue.
By
yesterday, it had been backed by more than 6,000 people.
A
rival petition calling for the law to stay how it is has been signed by more
than 11,000 people.
Mrs
Eastwood: "I welcome the campaign (for capital punishment). It will easily
get 100,000 signatures and it should be debated.
"I
know many people oppose it but, if there was a referendum on this tomorrow, the
country would back it.
"I
think the politicians should accept there is a public appetite for capital
punishment."
Six
of the 10 Leicestershire MPs the Leicester Mercury was able to contact said
they are against capital punishment.
thank you for your time for writing this - kelvin donaghey
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