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Indonesia | 14 years on death row: Timeline of Mary Jane Veloso’s ordeal and fight for justice

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MANILA, Philippines — The case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has spanned over a decade and remains one of the most high-profile legal battles involving an overseas Filipino worker. Veloso was arrested on April 25, 2010, at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after she was found in possession of more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in October – just six months after her arrest. Indonesia’s Supreme Court upheld the penalty in May 2011.

South Africa: Youth 'want death penalty reinstated'

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The majority of young South Africans want the death penalty to be reinstated, consumer insights company Pondering Panda said on Friday.

"It was found that more than 3 in 4 young South Africans think the death penalty should be reinstated as the highest form of punishment for criminals," spokesperson Shirley Wakefield said.

Altogether 6 900 young people between 18 and 34 years took part in the survey across the country.

Wakefield said 76% thought capital punishment should be reinstated.

"80 % of all respondents also believed that having the death penalty would deter criminals and reduce crime," she said.

"The survey also found that a similar proportion of respondents felt crime in South Africa was becoming progressively worse."

Sense of desperation

It was conducted between 13 and 19 February and interviews were carried out through cellphones.

Wakefield said the figures showed a sense of desperation that something needed to be done about crime.

"The government needs to make tackling crime in SA central to its agenda if it does not want young people to be further disillusioned about its ability to protect them and keep them safe," she said.

The death penalty was abolished in 1995.

Source: news24.com, February 23, 2013
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