'Death not the answer'
2004-03-10 12:55
Johannesburg - The most newsworthy South African of the past week says she's opposed to the death penalty.
Oscar winner Charlize Theron has said in an interview with Jeremy Mansfield of 94.7 Highveld Stereo that she's never been in favour of the death penalty.
She was reacting to a question if her portrayal of the serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, who was executed, made her look at the death penalty in a different light.
Charlize said she's very pragmatic.
She didn't think it made sense to sentence somebody to death because that person had killed someone.
She said on Amnesty International's website many countries without the death penalty were mentioned with a much lower crime rate than countries with the death penalty.
She was also uncomfortable that politicians used the death penalty issue for political gain just before elections.