How far should retribution go? Capital punishment was once the punishment for over 200 offences, including stealing a sheep and shooting a rabbit and children as young as eight were hanged. Execution has often been praised as a warning to others, but with the emergence of the police as a viable deterrent to crime, is it still necessary? The death penalty is still legal in 78 countries and over 2,000 people are executed every year. The media has closely followed the capital punishment debate in America since the death penalty was re-instated in 1976. Yet America executes under 100 people each year, compared to many hundreds in China. This episode asks whether the tabloid portrayal of some murderers as monsters has influenced how they are punished. Does vengeance underpin public expectations of punishment in the 21st century?
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