It is known that a week ago a disgusting case of minor corruption – 25-year-old Vardan Ghazaryan raped a 10-year-old student of the boarding school in downtown Gyumri in broad daylight. Although the minor rapist was arrested and may be jailed for 8-15 years, nevertheless, the residents of Gyumri are not satisfied with the measure of punishment set. During a conversation with us, many residents of Gyumri demanded that the young man was either hanged or roasted over a slow fire.
Aravot.am inquired from Bishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, the leader of the Shirak Diocese, today what kind of punishment is required for a child rapist. In response to that, his reverence remembered a method used in Gyumri 20 years ago, i.e. roasting over a slow fire in the center of the square, “Such a case happened in Gyumri 20 years ago and do you remember how it ended, they roasted him over a slow fire, they lynched him. Now, I as a clergyman cannot approve the Lynch law, but this is such a case when an ordinary man and a clergyman fight inside me. The clergyman inside me says that at the end of the day, one should treat humanely even such a monster, to forgive him to some extent, try to set his feet on the right path. But on the other hand, when the clergyman is silenced inside me and ordinary man speaks, I certainly approach that issue as many – he is worth to be severely punished. Therefore, I can say it is such an issue that makes me fight with myself.”
And what does his reverence think of member of the National Assembly Viktor Dallakyan’s initiative that such people must be castrated, if necessary, “The church has not expressed its position on that issue and I will express my personal idea. I think that the church must not encourage such things. Man can make a mistake once, but it doesn’t mean that he is doomed to always make that same mistake and it is worth to impose such punishment on him. We must never rule out the possibility of forgiveness. However, in the case of psychopaths, if it is clear that they cannot be treated, perhaps it is possible. One should seriously think on this matter.”
Nune AREVSHATYAN
