Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act,” a proposal to make capital punishment an available penalty for aggravated sexual abuse and other sex offenses against minors, including changes to both federal law and the military code. She frames the bill as a hardline response to child sexual abuse, promising that those who commit the worst crimes against children will face the severest consequences. The effort lands as she campaigns in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary and continues her work in the House of Representatives.
The bill is short and stark in its intent: to add the death penalty as an authorized punishment for certain sexual offenses against children. “We have zero mercy for child rapists. Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequence we can deliver,” Mace said in a statement. That language leaves no ambiguity about the direction and tone of the proposal.
Officially titled the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act, the measure seeks to amend Title 18 to allow capital punishment for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact offenses against children. It would also amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice to authorize the death penalty for the rape of a child, tying federal and military penalties together in a unified approach. The change would make execution an option for prosecutors in the most extreme child sexual abuse cases rather than a mandatory sentence.
“INTRODUCING: The Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act to amend Title 18 to authorize the death penalty for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact offenses against children. It will also amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to authorize the death penalty for the rape of a child,” she said in a on X. That social post is meant to show both the political posture and the public push behind the legislation, signaling Mace’s readiness to fight for it in the public square.
Mace has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021, and she carries that congressional record into her gubernatorial campaign. Her pitch to voters is straightforward: harsher penalties protect children and signal that some crimes place the offender beyond society’s protection. The bill fits a broader Republican law-and-order message that targets violent offenders and predators with uncompromising penalties.
“No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children,” Mace noted. That line echoes a broader demand from constituents frustrated with what they see as lenient treatment of violent sex offenders. For many on the right, the proposal answers a moral and political call to prioritize victims and act decisively against those who harm children.
“This bill is simple. Rape a child and you don’t get a second chance, you get the death penalty. We will never apologize for protecting America’s children,” Mace added. Those exact words will be central to the messaging around the bill, designed to make the stakes clear and to draw a firm contrast with opponents who argue for different approaches to criminal justice and sentencing. Her rhetoric is meant to rally voters who favor tough-on-crime policy.
“We’ve spent months fighting to expose Jeffrey Epstein’s network of powerful predators. We’ve demanded accountability and pushed for transparency. Now we’re making sure anyone who rapes a child faces the ultimate consequence,” she noted. Bringing up high-profile sex crime scandals underscores the political urgency Mace is attaching to the legislation and helps explain why she sees a need for a federal statute explicitly authorizing the death penalty in these circumstances.
The proposal will almost certainly trigger fierce debate in Congress, among legal scholars and in the courts over proportionality, application and constitutional limits. Supporters will emphasize deterrence and justice for victims, while critics will raise concerns about due process, uneven application and the efficacy of capital punishment. Either way, the bill sets the stage for an intense legislative and public fight over how the nation punishes its most abhorrent crimes against children.
https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/2027032213460509038
