Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Why is this just manslaughter?

I was reading about this court martial where four of our guys are on trial for manslaughter over forcing an Iraqi teenager into a river where he drowned. Read more here.

Now in the UK that would be classified as murder, and rightly so. So why are they not being prosecuted for murder?

I particularly liked the bit where it was said '...there was no real guidance as to how best to deal with the problem'. That explains it then. No guidance so they had to play it by ear and common sense and basic morals went flying out of their warrior armoured vehicle. Clearly not guilty then. Don't know why they are wasting their time prosecuting when it should be their parents and schoolteachers in the dock for not instilling common sense and basic morals.

2 Comments:

At 7:26 pm, Blogger Jay.Mac said...

I think that this would probably be prosecuted as manslaughter in the UK too- the difference is that they didn't force the guys into the water with the deliberate intention of killing them. Intent seems to make all the difference in cases like these.

Don't want to sound as if I'm excusing them- they are a disgrace to the armed forces and should be punished to the full extent of the law.

 
At 11:51 am, Blogger Bag said...

I hope you are wrong. I would have though leaving while the guy was in difficulties would be sufficient to class as murder even here. Clearly not over there though.

However, knowing British *cough* justice. You are probably right.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home