Capital punishment is no stranger to New Zealand and up until recently (1989) the death penalty was still in place for crimes of treason. Execution was first used as a form of punishment in New Zealand on the 7th March 1842, when young Maketu Wharetotara hanged for the brutal murder of 5 persons, two of which were only children. Capital punishment was retained for murder, treason, and piracy up until 1941, when it was taken away for a brief period until the National Government bought it back in 1950 and maintained until 1961 when it was abolished.
The last execution took place four years earlier, when Walter Bolton hanged for the poisoning of his wife. During this period 84 prisoners were legally executed, with only one of those deaths being for treason. Only one women was ever executed, Minnie 'Winton-baby-farmer' Dean. All hangings took place in full public view, until 1862 when they moved the executions inside the prison walls.
Wow I had no idea we had the death penalty in New Zealand until 1989.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought provoking Topic!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Death Penalty: Was it hanging, electric chair, injection or firing squad? What was the procedure & practice?
It's good to know about the history of death penalty in New Zealand. It's interesting!!
ReplyDeleteWhile I have enjoyed the history lesson if New Zealand's murderous past I have to ask, what do you think will happen or occur in New Zealand if you bring back the death penalty? Will it be a deterrent and for what crimes should it be applied to? I would say for me it anyone that answers a phone in a movie theater (but we all know that there is a special level oh hell reserved for them so that should be punishment enough).
ReplyDeleteSakura- it was death by hanging, but if they were to bring the death penalty back I think an injection would be the most human of the options.
ReplyDeleteTCJ- I answer your questions in my next post :) haha and I totally agree with you on movie theatre phone users
I didn't think New Zealand has death penalty and I didn't actually know about this history because I'm foreigner. It's really good to know about that.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to point out that the last execution in NZ was Walter Bolton like you said. However there was never any solid proof that he was guilty. His wife died from arsenic poisoning, but arsenic is a common poison used in farming and it was found in his water supply and around his farm. She could have died from accidentally drinking it, due to a mistake. There was no evidence that anyone deliberately poisoned her.
Until today, many many people argue he was not guilty. How can we execute a man who is not clearly guilty? What if he was innocent, and we murdered an innocent man?
Doesn’t this strongly damage the argument for capital punishment?
I'm quite opposed to the death penalty, and I think Verity's point is a good one.
ReplyDeleteIf we are to see the death penalty back, then I think it should be used ONLY when the evidence is very, very clear. No room for speculation. Killing an innocent person is not right.