Experts divided on new call for the death penalty

Although convicted sex trafficker and child rapist Gerhard Ackerman’s 12 life sentences were the harshest in South Africa, it will still not scare off potential offenders away.

This is the view of some crime experts, with one calling for the death penalty.

Criminologist Professor Jaco Barkhuizen said there was no problem with the sentencing guidelines in South Africa.

“The problem is the parole guidelines. In any other country with such dangerous criminals like Ackerman, the sentence would be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole,” he said.

WATCH: Convicted child rapist Gerhard Ackerman given 12 life sentences

Barkhuizen expressed concern that the station strangler, Norman Simons, and Chris Hani killer Janusz Walus were released on parole.

Law expert Dr Llewelyn Curlewis said life imprisonment was the most severe punishment the court can give and was supposed to deter future offenders.

“The only more severe punishment is the death penalty which is unconstitutional in this country,” he said.

Curlewis was concerned that inmates were eligible for parole after serving a certain period of their sentence.

Crime expert Dr Lufuno Sadiki said the sentencing of an accused was a complex issue.

“The purpose of sending someone to jail was to deter them from committing more crimes. When someone is being sentenced to life imprisonment, it’s also supposed to deter other offenders,” she said.

Sadiki, however, said the effectiveness of life sentences as a deterrence to crime was debatable. “Often, offenders don’t believe they will get caught,” she said.

Sadiki said the purpose of sentencing, in general, was rehabilitation, not just to punish.

“There’s a high crime rate in SA, which puts strain on the system and leads to overcrowding of prisons and delays in trials. If the system was unable to process cases efficiently, it may impact the effectiveness of sentences,” she said.

Independent crime analyst Dr Chris de Kock didn’t agree with Ackerman’s sentence.

De Kock said offenders like Ackerman, who don’t show any remorse, must have sick minds.

“A life sentence won’t deter such a person. Even the psychologists said he wasn’t rehabilitative. Nor will it deter people who make money from murder. One can only serve one life, so even if you are sentenced to 20 life sentences, you only serve one,” he said.

De Kock said the murder rate has increased by double digits in the last two years showing no deterrence. “The only radical thing that can be done is the death penalty,” he said.

De Kock said those who are accused of murder, rape and human trafficking should be considered for the death penalty.