A few generations ago rape was indeed a capital crime. A lot of people say that if rape was a capital crime, rapists would kill the victim. Did that happen more when rape was punished by execution?
I don't think so.
Here's a solution: Rape = quick execution. Rape+murder = slow painful death.
Plainly we can see that the current method of reasoning has not diminished the rapist population.
I think so.
Otherwise it would go against the "normal" criminal behaviour.