Death penalty sends right message
Convicted sex offender Joseph Edward Duncan III is charged with killing a Coeur d'Alene woman, her boyfriend and her 13-year-old son. Police say that Duncan killed the three as part of his plan to kidnap two younger children - Dylan and Shasta Groene - in order to molest them. Dylan was ultimately killed, and Shasta was rescued thanks to alert strangers who had followed the extensive news coverage of the case.
Now, Steve Groene, the father of the children, has asked prosecutors not to seek the death penalty against Duncan. His reasons are understandable, as he wants closure for himself and Shasta, who is now 9.
Groene fears that seeking the death penalty will keep the case in litigation for years to come, making it more difficult for Shasta to put the ordeal behind her. In addition, Groene recently has been diagnosed with a recurrence of throat cancer and worries that he won't live long enough to see the death penalty carried out.
The prosecutor said he will consider Groene's request, but must also consider the wishes of the relatives of other victims. We think he should also consider the wishes of society, and the well-being of all our children.
Dangerous predators such as Duncan should not have repeated chances to offend. Indeed, Duncan would not be on trial now if stiffer penalties had been applied against him earlier when he was convicted of sex crimes.
Recent sting operations against sexual predators that have been publicized on television's "Dateline" show just how widespread sex offenders are in our society, and how reckless. Among the people arrested for soliciting sex from children online have been teachers, paramedics, professionals, businessmen, even a rabbi. They come from big cities and small towns, and they want to hurt children.
It is chilling to watch them as they make excuses for their behavior - or, even worse, don't. Clearly this is a social problem of staggering proportions.
Public awareness is part of the solution, as parents become ever more vigilant. Increased enforcement is also necessary, and it was heartening to see the nationwide roundup of violent and sexual offenders that took place last week. That got more than 9,000 dangerous fugitives off the street. But more must be done, especially in the courts, where too often offenders seem to get as much sympathy as the victims.
The death penalty for Duncan, if he is convicted, will do two things. It will eliminate him as a danger to anyone else ever again, and it will send a powerful message to sexual predators that society will do whatever it takes to protect the most vulnerable among us.
That is a message which is long overdue.