What purpose does the death of the pedophile serve -- aside from vengeance.

Removal from society until cured (which is unlikely at best) is a necessity.

Working to identify any possible genetic component, definable mental abberation so as to head off such horrible events before they occur is highly desirable.

Torture or cruelty in effecting punishment is simply sadism. I have problems seeing the value of torture to extract information that may save lives, enacting torture or maiming a criminal so as to let her/him suffer more seems a little sick. If their sins have earned them eternal torture in some classical version of Hell, it will arrive soon enough and last long enough without society adding to it -- and lowering itself in the process.

If the only means of effectively removing such a criminal from society is death, it should at the least be quick and as painless as possible. We do put down mad dogs, but we don't drag them behind a pickup truck for 6 miles to accomplish it.

Seamus