Editor:
Re: Crime and punishment, May 16 letters.
Letter-writer R. Kile argues that killing murderers with electric chairs will reduce the number of murders.
In fact, statistics for every year between 1991 and 2011 showed that states in the U.S. without the death penalty had between seven per cent and 46 per cent lower murder rates than those that still have it – source: www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
In the U.K., with no death penalty, murders are significantly lower than in the United States.
Those who need to express their opinions on this very complex matter need to do their homework and educate themselves on the topic first.
Peter Davies, Surrey