These evil monsters deserve nothing less than death: BETHANY MANDEL unleashes her burning maternal fury on the seven Texas pedophiles who filmed themselves gang-raping toddlers, and asks: What parent WOULDN’T agree?

Few things shock me in this age of social media extremism, live-streamed terror and international permacrisis.

But last week’s headline really made bile rise in my throat:

Seven Texas men filmed themselves raping two toddlers in a bathroom at the Galleria Mall in Houston.

Sickening, indescribable evil.

A 29-year-old mall worker Arthur Hector Fernandez was identified as the suspected “ringleader” and arrested in December on assault charges. His accomplices have not yet been identified. The police cannot act quickly enough.

The investigation began after the FBI was alerted four videos of obscene child abuse filmed at various locations in the mall and uploaded to depraved online sites.

Sickening, indescribable evil. A 29-year-old mall worker Arthur Hector Fernandez was identified as the suspected “ringleader” and arrested in December on assault charges. His accomplices have not yet been identified. The police cannot act quickly enough.

Any normal person with an ounce of decency would struggle to understand such base brutality.

But as a mother – of six young children, including toddlers – I must admit that after a deep sense of utter disgust, my reaction became darker and even more violent.

The maternal instinct in me created an almost deep-seated compulsion. Those poor, poor children and their families, who may never recover.

Author: Bethany Mandel, mother of six.

And the unthinkable: how would I feel if that had been the case Mine little ones?

Faced with such disgusting crime, it is so wrong to express what parents everywhere are thinking: monsters like these men deserve nothing less than death.

Now let me make a disclaimer.

I certainly do not trust that the state – at least in its current form – will enforce the death penalty.

Our legal system has long been corrupted and highly politicized.

The death penalty is technically legal in 27 states for the most heinous crimes — although seven of those states have moratoriums. The federal government and the US military also reserve the right to carry out the death penalty.

But in practice, America is largely a post-death penalty country—and that’s a good thing.

In 2023, only 23 executions took place in the US, while more than 2,300 inmates remain on death row. Decades of legal challenges and eleven-hour delays now mean there’s a good chance you’ll die waiting for execution.

The moral complexity of state-mandated murder is difficult. For example, does handing out death make you better than the criminal you are punishing?

And then there’s the matter of jury certainty. Even if we have very accurate DNA data, can we ever be completely certain of a verdict?

But – while I imagine a world where justice is properly served – I find it difficult to accept that life is a prison, and that this is punishment enough for criminals like the Texas pedophiles.

Let’s analyze the facts of their case: Empowered by their perversion, these men filmed themselves and uploaded the evidence online. The mother of one victim identified ringleader Fernandez to police.

In other words, this is not a case of mistaken identity or unreliable fingerprint evidence. This is as open and shut a case as you can get.

When I read about this story last week, my thoughts turned to famous cases like that of Gary Plauché – who fatally shot his son’s rapist in 1984 – and, more recently, the Texas father who fatally beat Jesus Flores in 2012 after catching him of abusing his five children. year old daughter.

Faced with such disgusting crime, it is so wrong to express what parents everywhere are thinking: monsters like these men deserve nothing less than death.

Neither man has served a prison sentence – and rightly so. No one in their right mind can blame them. I know what I would do in their shoes – and the prosecutors undoubtedly realized that it would be difficult to find a jury who thought differently.

In general, vigilante justice is obviously not a good thing. We don’t want a society run by gangsters.

But us should have a justice system that metes out punishments that feel appropriate and proportionate.

We should know that all seven are men from Texas shall be found and brought to justice.

The gang rape of babies – filmed and uploaded online – is among the worst crimes imaginable. The victims and their families deserve to know that these men will be punished accordingly.

Can you honestly tell me that you disagree?