PNG, Solomons advised against death penalty

No death penalty, expert advises PNG, Solomons
From ABC Radio Australia, 20 August 2009

Last Updated: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:18:00 +1000

An Australian criminologist says Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea should not consider introducing the death penalty against violent crimes.

Both countries have high rates of crime and are considering capital punishment.

Professor Paul Wilson, from Australia's Bond University, in Queensland, says there is evidence in research from across the world that the death penalty does not reduce the rate of murder and violent crime.

He says despite this, many politicians choose to call for its introduction because they are aware there may be people in their electorates who could support it.

Professor Wilson has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat more needs to be done to study patterns of crime in PNG and the Solomons to determine better prevention and appropriate penalties.

"If you are going to reduce the murder rate or violence rate, you have to first of all analyse exactly how the violence is occuring, by whom, at what time, where, and the motiviationsm" he said.

"And that is a fairly substantial research job and then you have to apply quite well-known crime prevention methods, which will vary according to the location.

"You work it with a combination of zero-type policing."