BOTCHED EXECUTION
The notion that any form of the death penalty must be considered “cruel and unusual punishment” has received a boost from the execution of 37-year-old Christopher Newton in the American state of Ohio. The 265-pound man had been condemned to death for murdering a prison cell mate in 2001. He insisted that he wanted to die and made no attempt to appeal his sentence.
His execution took two hours — so long that he was given a bathroom break during the process. The execution team stuck him at least 10 times with needles to insert the shunts for a lethal injection. He laughed and chatted with the prison staff throughout the process.
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
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