on the juveniles being sentenced to the death penalty and a high percentage of .
juveniles have suffered from all, or a combination of, the following abuses; .
mental abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, drug addiction, abandonment and .
severe poverty. These kinds of abuses may cause serious distress for the .
children involved. Children who are physically or sexually abused may be .
functioning at an emotional level close to the age when the trauma occurred. .
The experience of an abused and traumatized child is one of fear and frustration. .
The child was raised in such an environment that the child does not know any .
better. Then how do we have the right to tell a child we are going to give him or .
her the capital punishment for not being raised properly. I am not saying that .
juvenile offenders do not know right from wrong and should not be punished, but .
that we as a society and a legal system have to consider that juveniles are .
different from adults and should not be subject to the ultimate adult punishment. .
Take the case of Christopher Simmons for example. He was just 17 years .
old at the time of his offense. He received an execution sentence on May 1, 2002 .
in Missouri. Christopher was convicted of murdering Shirley Crook. Her body was .
found in the Meramec River in St. Louis County on September 9, 1993. She had .
been tied with electric cable, leather straps and duct tape, had bruises on her .
body and fractured ribs. The medical examiner determined the cause of her .
death was drowning. Chistopher, was raised in an abusive and dysfunctional .
family environment. He lived with his mother, Cheryl Hayes, and stepfather, .
Bob Hayes in Fenton, Missouri. He also had very little contact with his father , .
Dennis Simmons, and stepmother, Beth Simmons. Christopher's mother and .
father had divorced shortly after his birth and the relationship between the .
Hayes and Simmons' families was hostile throughout Christopher's childhood.