The British High Commissioner outlined the results...

The British High Commissioner outlined the results of a survey they had initiated to gauge public opinion about the death penalty in Papua New Guinea. A total of 92.6 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted the death penalty always or in certain cases of willful murder. Only 6.9 per cent said it should never be used. 49.3 per cent thought the danger of executing an innocent person was an unacceptable risk whilst 48.85 per cent thought it was acceptable. 52.5 per cent of those polled thought life imprisonment for killers was a serious punishment while 43.3 per cent disagreed. 54.8 per cent thought that the best way to deal with violent crime was to set a severe deterrent punishment that would reduce the number of offenders. The High Commissioner pointed out that only 217 had been questioned for the survey meaning its results could not be overly relied upon.