How do we support children following exoneration or commutation of their parent’s death sentence?

PRI delivered a statement about children of parents sentenced to death at a United Nations panel on the issue on Wednesday 11 September 2013. The statement, one of five given by NGOs, focused on how children can be supported following exoneration or commutation of their parent’s death sentence.

Oliver Robertson, PRI Project Manager for Death Penalty and Alternatives, said: ‘This panel at the Human Rights Council was informative and timely, shedding light on an issue that most people haven’t thought about. We were pleased with the positive way that governments engaged with the panel and hope that they will now move to action.’

Explaining why PRI had chosen to concentrate on exoneration and commutation in its statement, Oliver Robertson said: ‘Having a parent sentenced to death and put on death row is an awful thing for children to experience, but people often assume that if the threat of death is lifted then everything is alright. In reality, many children will still have a parent serving a very long prison sentence, with all the restrictions that brings to having a proper parent-child relationship. Both child and parent may also need support following release to help them readjust to both being in society.’

The proceedings of the panel can be seen here. PRI also spoke on the panel of a Human Rights Council side event the following day, where issues related to children of parents sentenced to death were further discussed.