Florida passes DeSantis-backed legislation allowing death penalty for child sexual abusers

Florida lawmakers have given their approval to a bill backed by Governor Ron DeSantis that would permit the death penalty for individuals convicted of sexually abusing children under the age of 12.

In a bold move, Florida's bipartisan lawmakers passed legislation late Tuesday by a 34-5 vote that allows juries to impose the death penalty on those found guilty of sexually abusing children.

The new law, which is expected to be signed by Governor DeSantis, also modifies the requirement for jury unanimity in death sentence cases, permitting a minimum 8-4 vote instead. The bill, which had already passed the Florida House of Representatives with a 95-14 vote last week, has garnered massive support in the Sunshine State legislature, CBS reported.

Governor DeSantis expressed his stance on the matter during an appearance on "Good Morning Orlando," stating, "My view is, you have some of these people that will be serial rapists of six, seven-year-old kids. I think the death penalty is the only appropriate punishment when you have situations like that."

State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) and State Sen. Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers), the bill's co-sponsors, argued that those who sexually harm children are likely to re-offend and deserve the ultimate penalty.

“Once a predator has a child ensnared, they will harm that child over and over and over again. And then move on to another innocent child," said Book. "There is no statute of limitations on this crime (for victims). There is no end. It's always with you."

Book emphasized that the execution would protect other potential victims, stating, "Pedophile behavior has been deemed highly repetitive to the point of compulsion."

However, the legislation faced opposition from lawmakers such as State Sen. Rosalind Osgood (D-Broward), who, while acknowledging the severity of sexual crimes against children, expressed her struggle with imposing the death penalty in general due to her religious beliefs.

The bill also challenges a 2008 Supreme Court precedent, Kennedy v. Louisiana, in which the court ruled 5-4 that the death penalty could not be imposed on child rapists or any crime where the victim did not die. Nonetheless, Governor DeSantis suggested that the current Supreme Court, comprised of six conservatives and three liberals, might be open to overturning this decision.

Florida's death penalty controversy made headlines last year when a jury spared Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz from execution, opting for a life sentence instead. Governor DeSantis criticized the decision, stating that execution was "really the only appropriate punishment" in Cruz's case.