After a group calling itself the Group of Families...

After a group calling itself the Group of Families of Raped and Murdered Children rejected a government proposal to eliminate the death penalty, President Ricardo Lagos said he favoured holding a national referendum to decide whether or not the death penalty should be maintained or replaced with life imprisonment as the maximum form of punishment in Chile. The government proposal, in addition to abolishing capital punishment, would also allow individuals sentenced to life in prison to apply for parole after serving 40 years of their sentences. "I would love a vote to be held on issues of public opinion such as, for example, the death penalty or divorce," Lagos told a local television station. "Some people believe it isn't legal for one human being to take the life of another. Others say no, in (cases of) the murders of children, only the death penalty fits. I think it would be a good idea to hold a referendum and ask the country what it prefers," he said. Although the Chilean president said he opposes capital punishment, he reiterated his obligation to comply with the law.