The death penalty is one of the most debated topics in today’s world. Many governments have used it as a way to stop crime in their countries. But after many years, some of them realized that it did not really bring good results, and sometimes made things worse.
In recent years, many human rights organizations have asked countries to stop using the death penalty. Still, some people think that removing it would only increase crime around the world.
I had an interesting debate with my English students about this topic as part of our speaking practice. During our discussion, most of them said the death penalty should be abolished, while a few others thought it should continue.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the situation is still complicated. Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the country has faced many problems: the murder of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, several rebellions, coups, and treasons. Because of all this, Congo still keeps the death penalty as one of its ways to punish serious crimes like treason.
Recently, some rebel leaders were sentenced to death, and this brought more debate about whether this law really helps reduce crime.
Why Should the Death Penalty Be Maintained in DRC?
Mrs. Evelyne Kabuo, a student in my Poetic English class, said she supports the death penalty:
“Congo is full of disorder. Many bad groups are rising and committing crimes without punishment. This encourages more people to do wrong things. I believe that punishing the first wave of criminals by death could serve as a lesson to others and reduce rebellion in the country.”
Why Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?
For Mr. Amani Alain, the death penalty does not solve the problem of crime, so it should be abolished.
He quoted Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”
He added that no one has the right to take another person’s life, no matter the reason.
Amani also said that innocent people can be killed because of false accusations.
“Someone who hates you can frame you and bring fake evidence against you. If the court believes it, an innocent person could be executed,” he explained.
Mr. Medan Watukalusu added a spiritual point: “The death penalty is an old law from the Bible. But Moses never killed people himself, only God could. Human judges make mistakes, but God sees everything and knows the truth. So only God should have the right to take a life.”
He also shared a sad story about a 16-year-old African-American boy who was executed in 1931 but later found innocent many years after his death.
“That young man lost his life for nothing. That’s why I think a life sentence is better. It punishes the person, but they still have time to reflect and maybe change,” Medan said.
Mr. Clément also joined the discussion. He believes the death penalty can help reduce crime, but only if the justice system is fair.
“The death penalty could be useful only if our justice system were honest. But in Congo, justice is often corrupt. We need to fix that first before applying such a serious law,” he said.
My Personal View
Our English-speaking session on Friday, October 24, 2025, was one of the best debates I’ve had with my students. It was not just a language practice; it was also a reflection on life and justice.
In my opinion, the death penalty should be abolished everywhere.
First, killing the criminal doesn’t bring real peace. Instead, it can cause pain and anger in their family, leading to revenge and more violence. Mr. Clement also mentioned this part about revenge.
Second, some people are not afraid of death itself but they are only afraid of the process of dying. What really changes people is education, love, and good values, not fear.
Third, after death, there is no awareness or pain. So, in a way, execution only helps the person rest forever. A better punishment is life imprisonment, where the guilty person has many years to regret their wrong deeds.
Finally, since we humans cannot create life, we should not have the right to take it. Only God gives life, only He can take it away.
