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Child Item

Vigilante Justice

Fat Christy

I swore I'd never be one of those posters to post about news stories and look at me! For shame. Anyway, the below story got me thinking a bit about the legal system and vigilante justice. What are your thoughts on it?

In a way, I sort of felt sorry for the guy that was attacked in this situation. Granted, I don't know anything about his case only that he is a child sex offender. Should it be the responsibility of our legal system alone to deal with criminals?

Vigilante justice or in layman terms 'An eye for an eye' wouldn't be something I would agree with, but if something happened to my family or my friends, I think my morals would go out the window. I'm quite an over protective person and the thoughts of someone hurting my family or friends fills me with dread. I don't think I'd leave a rock un-turned in my quest to find the culprit. The sentences given out to murderers and rapists in this country and others can be sickeningly lenient. I'd prefer a justice system with harsher sentences. At the same time though, I would be totally against the death penalty. Does that make me a hypocrite?

Linky to article: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/local-mob-that-beat-up-convicted-child-rapist-in-dublin-were-concerned-parents-31289340.html

I hope this is okay here.

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K4t

Deleted User wrote: »

I hope everyone involved is identified and prosecuted for assault.

Or instead perhaps chased around a field and given a few slaps? -that is the kind of society those people want to live in after all.

[Deleted User]

K4t wrote: »

Or instead perhaps chased around a field and given a few slaps? -that is the kind of society those people want to live in after all.

More like a few schlaps.

diomed

Concerned parents = do not pass go, do not collect 200 hours community service.

ThinkProgress

I would be very tempted in that situation to do the same... What are officials thinking when they re-house these sick individuals?

The officials who made that decision deserve a few thumps around their heads too! gobsh*tes!

[Deleted User]

I dont like the idea of it.. but in cases where the person has been convicted and then received a small sentence and been set free early, as in a few cases that came to attention recently, I have thought if it would really be such a bad thing

Fat Christy

riffmongous wrote: »

I dont like the idea of it.. but in cases where the person has been convicted and then received a small sentence and been set free early, as in a few cases that came to attention recently, I have thought if it would really be such a bad thing

Sometimes, I've half wished they would get a good going over when they did end up in prison....

:-/

[Deleted User]

I'm sure none of them see the contradiction inherent in expressing their disapproval at his acts of violence by engaging in a mass act of violence of their own.

It wasn't necessary to beat him up, they could have protested and lobbied to have him moved but that wouldn't have sated the mob mentality.

It makes me uncomfortable, as does feeling sorry for him.

Grayson

frostyjacks wrote: »

Nothing wrong with a bit of street justice every now and then. The law only punishes people after they commit the crime, in cases like this it's best to get the punishment in beforehand.

He had been punished by the law after the crime was comitted

Sand

Honestly, unless you're going to make these crimes punishable by death, or imprisonment until death then society needs to find some mechanism for release and rehabilitation. Otherwise we'll end up living in the sort of terrorised, stupid, hysterical society Brass Eye so correctly took the piss out of in that infamous Paedogeddon episode. "Sheets of flame, dancing to the beat of primitive animal justice. One man kebabbed, hundreds scarred forever by the shared blood ritual. And yet, an astonishing sense of community here now. A positive atmosphere, a sense of a job well done. A shared sigh of relief, very much like the bizarre euphoria at the end of an hours vomiting."

The article itself is very sly with remarks like "The convicted criminal was also staying only a short walk away from a local crèche and playgroup". In any urban area, is any location more than a short walk away from a local creche or playgroup? There's absolutely no evidence this guy attacked any child or was planning to attack any child. Its just basically ugly mob justice deciding that a potential, academic threat to their child justifies them roaming the streets attacking people. Where the does that sort of mentality end?

frostyjacks

Have to laugh at all the bleeding hearts here shedding tears for a paedophile.

Ha ha ha.

Reserve your sympathy for his victims.

Sand

frostyjacks wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the bleeding hearts here shedding tears for a paedophile.

Ha ha ha.

Reserve your sympathy for his victims.

Are you in favour of the death penalty for any sexual crimes against children?

frostyjacks

Sand wrote: »

Are you in favour of the death penalty for any sexual crimes against children?

I'd rather see castration. But either way is fine with me, our sentancing is way too soft in this country.

Sand

So a 15 year old girl who has sex with a 14 year old should be put to death and/or castrated? Should the 14 year old also be put to death and/or castrated just to be sure they wont harm another child?

323

frostyjacks wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the bleeding hearts here shedding tears for a paedophile.

Ha ha ha.

Reserve your sympathy for his victims.

Spot on.

Sand wrote: »

Are you in favour of the death penalty for any sexual crimes against children?

No.
But a sentence measured in decades would be a start Followed by chemical castration before being released.

frostyjacks

Sand wrote: »

So a 15 year old girl who has sex with a 14 year old should be put to death and/or castrated? Should the 14 year old also be put to death and/or castrated just to be sure they wont harm another child?

Tell you what, that poor paedophile is probably searching for somewhere new to live after that trimming. Why don't you take him in if you're so concerned about his wellbeing?

themandan6611

MathDebater wrote: »

Probably shouldn't have been resttled there.

re-settled, lol good one, do you think he is jewish or something ?

Sand

frostyjacks wrote: »

Tell you what, that poor paedophile is probably searching for somewhere new to live after that trimming. Why don't you take him in if you're so concerned about his wellbeing?

I'll take that as you acknowledging that justice and the law can be a little more complicated than some mob dealing out beatings to whoever they dislike.

ThinkProgress

Sand wrote: »

So a 15 year old girl who has sex with a 14 year old should be put to death and/or castrated? Should the 14 year old also be put to death and/or castrated just to be sure they wont harm another child?

This is a stupid point... really really stupid.

There is a BIG difference between a 35 year old 6ft 6inch male raping a child, and the scenario you describe above.

There are degrees of punishment to fit the gravity of the crime.

Most crimes like this man's, I would support 20 years-to-life in prison and chemical castration. Depending on the brutality of the crime or if he was guilty of multiple cases... the death penalty could be appropriate imo.

Allowing someone that dangerous to roam freely and booze himself up in a local pub is just insanity. This man is just as dangerous as a convicted murderer. Sexual predators ruin people's lives.

RedemptionZ

frostyjacks wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the bleeding hearts here shedding tears for a paedophile.

Ha ha ha.

Reserve your sympathy for his victims.

Idiotic way of looking at it. Are his victims supposed to feel better about being abused because he was beaten up? What exactly did it achieve? They were still abused. The consequences of what happened won't go away. What you call shedding tears is actually just looking at the event from a logical viewpoint.

I expect you to respond in daily mail style emotive language and once again try to insinuate that we're pedo sympathisers...

RedemptionZ

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Most crimes like this man's, I would support 20 years-to-life in prison and chemical castration. Depending on the brutality of the crime or if he was guilty of multiple cases... the death penalty could be appropriate imo

That's too expensive and inefficient. If you were going to go down that route you'd have to have the death penalty, which opens up a whole other can of worms. Also why not castrate him initially and then give him a few years in a prison facility where specialists can try to help him, because clearly anyone who molests children is ****ed up in the head. If he's deemed safe let him out, he won't have a libido anyway. This 20 to life and then castration just screams make him suffer as opposed to actually helping make society safer, which should be the point of prison imo.

ThinkProgress

RedemptionZ wrote: »

Idiotic way of looking at it. Are his victims supposed to feel better about being abused because he was beaten up? What exactly did it achieve? They were still abused. The consequences of what happened won't go away. What you call shedding tears is actually just looking at the event from a logical viewpoint.

I expect you to respond in daily mail style emotive language and once again try to insinuate that we're pedo sympathisers...

You shouldn't assume others didn't gain something from that retribution.

It can be cathartic for many people to see an evil individual made to endure physical pain and loss of control.

In many ways that's precisely what he did to his victim - only on a far worse scale.

Many people gain great satisfaction from revenge and retribution. They are human desires...

RedemptionZ

ThinkProgress wrote: »

You shouldn't assume others didn't gain something from that retribution.

It can be cathartic for many people to see an evil individual made to endure physical pain and loss of control.

In many ways that's precisely what he did to his victim - only on a far worse scale.

Many people gain great satisfaction from revenge and retribution. They are human desires...

Are you honestly going to tell me that you think victims of sexual abuse gain satisfaction from seeing abusers beaten up? All that does is show me that you don't know the severe psychological effects that sexual abuse has on victims. They need to be provided help, psychologically for their wounds, not to hear stories of their former abuser getting beaten up. As I have said before, they won't get un-raped.

Memnoch

Revenge isn't cathartic as much as you'd think it would be. Focussing on the person that did you harm only traps you in that moment for longer. The focus should be on helping victims to lead positive, productive and fulfilling lives.

The death penalty is wrong no matter what in any situation because there can be miscarriages of justice.

We need to find a way to rehabilitate and reintregrate all criminals back into society. Unfortunately the conditions and will for this simply do not exist. And before we can go there we need a fairer and more inclusive society.

Prevention is the best way forward. And that's really what we should focus on. That means encouraging people to seek help before they harm someone. Vigilante justice is only going to push them underground and leave ticking timebombs in the community.

ThinkProgress

RedemptionZ wrote: »

Are you honestly going to tell me that you think victims of sexual abuse gain satisfaction from seeing abusers beaten up? All that does is show me that you don't know the severe psychological effects that sexual abuse has on victims. They need to be provided help, psychologically for their wounds, not to hear stories of their former abuser getting beaten up. As I have said before, they won't get un-raped.

I never said retribution completely healed their psychological wounds, but it can provide some initial solace to see them suffer.

No they won't get un-raped. Families of murder victims don't get their loved ones back, but for many, seeing the perpetrator put to death gives them some solace!

Retribution is not the whole solution, but it can help.

What about the psychological effects of watching a child raping paedophile walk free in the streets, booze up in a pub and basically do whatever the f*ck he wants??

AudreyHepburn

frostyjacks wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the bleeding hearts here shedding tears for a paedophile.

Ha ha ha.

Reserve your sympathy for his victims.

You're missing the point completely.

No-one here is doing any such thing....our only sympathy is with the victims of this vile excuse for a human being.

That however does not mean that seeing a group of apparently civilized men and women turn into a crazed mob intent on blood shed does not make myself and others very uncomfortable...as it should.

Violence solves nothing. It might make you feel good to beat the lard out of some-one who has done you wrong, but it doesn't change or undo what the person did.

Samaris

Not to mention, there is no indication that any of the victims, or those related to the victims, were involved in this lynch mob. So who got "satisfaction" there? The only time a lynch mob is remotely excusable is if someone's caught in the process of doing something terrible and reactionary mob vengeance swells. It's still not RIGHT, but this sort of premeditated crowd attack was wrong, and the justification that they're making for themselves is self-righteous in the extreme.

Meh. It's pretty difficult to know what to do about releasing child predators back into the community after they've done their time. I can't say I disagree with chemical castration in extreme cases to virtually eliminate chances of it happening again, but I'm unsure what the legal ramifications of that is.

I appreciate the fears of parents for their children. Just don't think this was the way to go about dealing with it all.