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But his career change was also prompted by his 1994 conviction for caning children at the private school he ran with his then wife in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland.

The 30-year-old had denied killing or injuring her son, who had suffered extensive and excruciating burns to his bottom half, but admitted caning him in accordance with her religious beliefs.

“Well, we looked into the rules, and you know, you used to be able to cane,” Mullin said, referring to the infamous 1856 caning of Republican senator Charles Sumner, Mass., over Sumner's anti-slavery views.

Alternatives to the death penalty under the new rules include caning and a jail term of up to 40 years.

Instead of the death penalty, lawmakers on Monday approved bills to give courts the option of imposing prison sentences of between 30 and 40 years and caning not less than 12 times.