Yesterday, just hours before Florida carried out its sixth execution of 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1804 into law—legislation that seeks to expand the death penalty to non-homicide offenses, including certain cases of child sex trafficking. This comes only weeks after the execution of Glen Rogers, a man who was himself a survivor of childhood sexual trafficking.
Maria DeLiberato, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, responded:
“As a former prosecutor, a capital defense attorney, and now as the director of FADP, I’ve seen firsthand how childhood sexual abuse and human trafficking devastate lives. More than half of the people I’ve represented on Florida’s death row were themselves victims of sexual violence—never treated, never supported. This law does nothing to end the cycle of violence. Instead, it risks retraumatizing survivors and squanders resources that should be used to protect them.”
Instead of investing in a costly and constitutionally uncertain “test case” to expand executions, advocates urge lawmakers to invest in trauma-informed care, strengthen the child welfare system, and prevent exploitation before it begins.