AMERICA: PANAMA: CHURCH TRIES TO STOP DEATH PENALTY

Fides Service REPORT - Congressman Marcos Gonzalez, of the Democratic Change (DC) party, has introduced a bill to introduce death penalty in Panama, in cases of murder and femicide, crime against the collective security and sexual abuse relapse.
The draft law is in conflict with Article 30 of the Panamanian Constitution, which prohibits death penalty. It isalso contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international conventions to which Panama adhered, involving the abolition of capital punishment.
Among Catholics, the news has caused great discomfort. Maribel Jaén, a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church says that the approval of death penalty is "inhumane" and goes against Christian doctrine: "We, as Church, believe in the profound sense of life, therefore, no State has the right to take life away".
Maribel also recalled that many countries have already abolished death penalty after realizing that this penalty does not reduce crime.
This controversy reminds us about the one born during the debate on the reform of the penal code, when the Church expressed herselfin defense of the right to life (see Fides 02/03/2007)
The Ombudsman, Patria Portogallo, rejected the bill, saying that this does not help to reduce crime in the country.
His position is supported also by the previous ombudsman Ricardo Vargas, who points out: "This is a step back towards democratic progress, it is not the right way to fight crime", and believes it is necessary to immediately reject what he defines as being an "unwise and inappropriate proposal".
(CE)
Fides Service) - Congressman Marcos Gonzalez, of the Democratic Change (DC) party, has introduced a bill to introduce death penalty in Panama, in cases of murder and femicide, crime against the collective security and sexual abuse relapse.
The draft law is in conflict with Article 30 of the Panamanian Constitution, which prohibits death penalty. It isalso contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international conventions to which Panama adhered, involving the abolition of capital punishment.
Among Catholics, the news has caused great discomfort. Maribel Jaén, a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church says that the approval of death penalty is "inhumane" and goes against Christian doctrine: "We, as Church, believe in the profound sense of life, therefore, no State has the right to take life away".
Maribel also recalled that many countries have already abolished death penalty after realizing that this penalty does not reduce crime.
This controversy reminds us about the one born during the debate on the reform of the penal code, when the Church expressed herselfin defense of the right to life (see Fides 02/03/2007)
The Ombudsman, Patria Portogallo, rejected the bill, saying that this does not help to reduce crime in the country.
His position is supported also by the previous ombudsman Ricardo Vargas, who points out: "This is a step back towards democratic progress, it is not the right way to fight crime", and believes it is necessary to immediately reject what he defines as being an "unwise and inappropriate proposal".
(CE)
Fides Service) - Congressman Marcos Gonzalez, of the Democratic Change (DC) party, has introduced a bill to introduce death penalty in Panama, in cases of murder and femicide, crime against the collective security and sexual abuse relapse.
The draft law is in conflict with Article 30 of the Panamanian Constitution, which prohibits death penalty. It isalso contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international conventions to which Panama adhered, involving the abolition of capital punishment.
Among Catholics, the news has caused great discomfort. Maribel Jaén, a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church says that the approval of death penalty is "inhumane" and goes against Christian doctrine: "We, as Church, believe in the profound sense of life, therefore, no State has the right to take life away".
Maribel also recalled that many countries have already abolished death penalty after realizing that this penalty does not reduce crime.
This controversy reminds us about the one born during the debate on the reform of the penal code, when the Church expressed herselfin defense of the right to life (see Fides 02/03/2007)
The Ombudsman, Patria Portogallo, rejected the bill, saying that this does not help to reduce crime in the country.
His position is supported also by the previous ombudsman Ricardo Vargas, who points out: "This is a step back towards democratic progress, it is not the right way to fight crime", and believes it is necessary to immediately reject what he defines as being an "unwise and inappropriate proposal".
(CE)
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=29620&lan=eng

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