The halting of many people sentenced to death has brought the issue back on the spotlight, becoming a topic in Parliament recently.
But sometimes we need a reminder that death row inmates are humans with families too.
A young girl, whose father is on death row, penned a letter to President Halimah Yacob.
The letter was posted on Transformative Justice Collective, which seeks reform on the death penalty in Singapore.
The letter starts by saying that she’s writing it as ‘I need my father’.
She has apparently been waiting for 7-8 years for his father to come out from prison and wished yearly on her birthday for this to happen. But this didn’t pass.
In May this year, her father’s appeal against his death sentence was rejected.
Last month, on 1 Oct, she went out to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with 2 friends. With lanterns in hand, they took a walk around Petir Park in Bukit Panjang, and made a wish near a bush. She made the same wish she usually does for her birthdays.
They then left their lanterns by the bush. The next day, however, her lantern was gone, and she wondered if it was a sign from above.
The latter portion of the letter deals with the girl and her interactions with her dad when she visits him in prison.
He’d always ask her if she’s prayed, and she’d reply that of course, she’s prayed for him.
But she’d sometimes cry after her visits to prison, and beg for his release.
She “misses him too much” and in a heartfelt plea, hopes that President Halimah will release him from prison.
Her father’s clemency petition was filed and is pending.
Few have received a successful appeal. However, if successful, the death sentence can be reduced to life imprisonment.
Death-row inmates have families, and the death sentence will separate them forever.
A life imprisonment term may still ensure that this 9-year-old gets to visit her father instead of living the rest of her life without one.
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Featured image adapted from Modern Diplomacy & Facebook.
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