Kenneth Smith has been sentenced to death for the murder of a pastor’s wife. His execution is at the centre of a legal controversy as his execution by lethal injection was paused some months ago. The State authorities are exploring an even more brutal method: nitrogen hypoxia. It would be the first time that this cruel method - currently excluded even for animals - would be used on a human being without testing it beforehand.
The death penalty raises moral and ethical questions, while respect for life is an indicator of civilisation. The culture of life should prevail over the culture of death.
