JEFFERSON CITY — Certain child rapists could face the death penalty in Missouri under a measure a Senate committee considered Monday.
Legislation filed by Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, would allow for capital punishment in statutory rape cases if the victim is younger than 14. The death penalty would also be permitted in child sex trafficking cases where the victim is younger than 12.
If approved, Missouri would join Florida in allowing executions for child rape — despite current U.S. Supreme Court precedent against such executions.
The high court in 2008 ruled 5-4 against a similar Louisiana law, holding it violated the s prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment.â€
“I think that we need to challenge some of those decisions that are made,†Moon told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation last year allowing the death penalty for sexual battery of a child younger than 12.
A Florida prosecutor said in December he would pursue the death penalty for Joseph A. Giampa, who faced multiple counts of sexual battery of a child under 12.
DeSantis said the case would test Supreme Court case law.
“It will be the first case to challenge SCOTUS (the U.S. Supreme Court) since I signed legislation to make pedophiles eligible for the death penalty,†DeSantis posted on social media in December.
Giampa eventually was to life in prison in February. Florida State Attorney Bill Gladson attributed the swift resolution to the new law.
The director of the Missouri State Public Defender and the co-director of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty testified against Moon’s plan on Monday.
Mary Fox, director of the public defender’s office, said the office provides defense services for most death penalty cases in Missouri.
She said the measure was unconstitutional under current Supreme Court precedent and that research has found the death penalty doesn’t deter crime.
No action was taken on Moon’s measure Monday.
In 2023, Moon proposed legislation that would allow for women to be charged with murder if they got an abortion in the state.
The Missouri legislation is .
Editor’s note: This version corrects the name of the anti-death penalty group, and the title of the person with the group who spoke at the hearing.