对强奸罪限制适用死刑是有一系列理论、《刑法》、司法解释、刑事政策以及国际法方面的根据的，也是切合强奸犯罪的实际情况的。刑法总、分则情节与强奸罪死刑适用之间的关系表明，可以从当前的司法完善和未来的立法完善两个途径来解决强奸罪的死刑限制适用问题。 从司法方面看，司法实践中考虑对强奸犯罪分子是否适用死刑时，不必考虑媒体、民愤、治安环境和被害人及其家属意见，另外还可以把强奸罪的死刑适用标准分为积极标准、负标准和阻却标准三方面内容。 强奸罪死刑适用积极标准，是指可以对强奸犯罪分子判处死刑的情况。其内容具体包括两种情况：第一，致使被害人重伤并造成严重残疾的；第二，致使被害人死亡的。强奸罪死刑适用负标准，是指不考虑对强奸犯罪分子判处死刑的情况。这些情况包括以下类别：第一，强奸妇女、奸淫幼女情节恶劣的；第二，强奸妇女、奸淫幼女多人的；第三，在公共场所当众强奸妇女的；第四，二人以上轮奸的；第五，除了致使被害人重伤并造成严重残疾的以外的，其他致使被害人重伤的情形；第六，强奸造成其他造成严重后果的情形。强奸罪死刑适用阻却标准，是指排除对强奸犯罪分子判处死刑的情况。其内容包括效力依次增强的三种情形：第一，具有强奸预备、未遂、自首、立功等“可以性质的”、属于从宽从轻处罚的总则性情节的；第二，具有强奸从犯、胁从犯以及自首又有重大立功表现的等“应当性质的”、属于从宽从轻处罚的总则性情节的；第三，《刑法》总则规定的不得适用死刑的一般条件，即犯罪的时候不满十八周岁的等情形。 司法实践中，应该严格把握强奸罪的死刑适用标准。案件事实只是符合强奸罪死刑适用负标准的，即使是符合其中几项，均不得对犯罪分子判处死刑。一旦强奸犯罪符合了强奸罪死刑适用积极标准，才可以考虑对强奸犯罪分子适用死刑。另外，也只有在充分考虑到了强奸罪死刑适用阻却标准的情况下，才可以最终对强奸犯罪分子适用死刑。 立足于司法中的强奸罪的死刑适用标准，未来的强奸罪死刑立法可以明示以下内容：犯强奸罪，致被害人重伤并造成严重残疾的或者致使被害人死亡的，方有适用死刑的余地。这将从根本上解决强奸罪的死刑限制适用问题。

There are a series of bases of theories, the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, juridical interpretation, criminal policies and international laws to restricting death penalty to rape. The relationship between the circumstances provided by the General and Specific Provisions of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China and death penalty applied to rape shows, that the question of restricting death penalty to rape can be solved through improvement in judicial and legal measures. In the justice, the media opinions, the anger of people, the peace environment, the victim’s and their families’ opinions don’t need to be cared about, and the standards of sentencing rapists to death can be divided as positive standards, negative standards and preventing standards. The positive standards are the cases in which the courts may sentence rapists to death. They contain two cases, causing serious injury and hard disabilities to the victim and causing death to the victim. The negative standards are the cases in which the courts shouldn’t sentence rapists to death. They contain the following six cases, the circumstances being flagrant, raping a number of women or girls under the age of 14, raping a woman before the public in a public place, raping a woman with one or more persons in succession, causing other serious injury rather than serious injury and hard disability to the victim and causing other serious consequences. The preventing standards are the cases in which the death penalty should be prevented. They contain three cases and their virtue increase orderly, being attempted rape, preparation for rape, voluntary surrender, performing meritorious services, and so on, in which cases the rapists may be punished lightly. Secondly, being accomplice, coerced to participating in rape and performing major meritorious services after voluntary surrender, and so on, in which cases the rapists should be punished lightly. Thirdly, the cases which are prescribed by the General Provisions of the Criminal Law and in which the rapists shouldn’t be sentenced to death, such as the case that the persons who have not reached the age of 18 at the time the crimes are committed. In the justice, the courts should manage the standards severely. If the cases just match the negative standards, even many of them, the courts shouldn’t sentence the rapists to death. The courts can consider sentencing rapists to death only when the cases match the positive standards. Besides, the courts just can sentence rapists to death at last when the preventing standards are considered enough. According to the aspects of the standards of sentencing rapists to death in the justice, the future death legislation on rape can prescribe definitely that only on the condition committing rapes which cause serious injury and hard disabilities or death to the victim the death penalty has the chance to be applied. And this will solve the question of restricting death penalty to rape ultimately.