A Mississippi law allowing the death penalty for certain child sexual battery convictions took effect July 1, as reported by Fox News.
Senate Bill 2821 created the offense of “capital sexual battery” for qualifying cases involving victims younger than 12 and defendants 18 or older.
Mississippi expands death penalty to include child sexual battery https://t.co/Ra39qHtFEF
— WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) August 13, 2026
A death sentence is not automatic after conviction. Prosecutors must seek it, and jurors must unanimously find at least two aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt.
At least eight of the 12 jurors must recommend death.
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If the jury does not reach that threshold, the defendant receives life in prison without parole.
State Sen. Jeremy England, the bill’s author, said the measure targets the most serious crimes against children.
“That is a crime that, I think, shocks the conscience, certainly. Those are the worst types of crimes against the most innocent of our citizens here in Mississippi,” England said, according to WLBT.
The law expands Mississippi’s death penalty beyond its previous focus on murder convictions.
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Critics argue the possibility of an execution could discourage some children from reporting abuse, particularly when the accused is someone they know.
Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, said he previously supported capital punishment but now believes life imprisonment is sufficient.
“There is no need for executions when we can throw away the key,” Bonowitz said.
Bonowitz also questioned whether children would be willing to testify against relatives or other people they know if an execution could result.
“Most of those kinds of crimes are by people that the child knows, and you’re asking a child to then testify against a relative and try to get them executed,” he said.
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Supporters of the law argue that prosecutors should have the option of seeking the maximum punishment in the most serious cases involving children.
Senate Bill 2821 took effect July 1, 2026. Any death sentence imposed under the law is subject to review by the Mississippi Supreme Court.
The law applies only to qualifying offenses and establishes multiple requirements before capital punishment can be imposed.
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