The case of Tia Sharp is a tragedy. That a child has died is desperately sad, that this may have been caused by a family member seems unthinkable to all right thinking people.
However in the wake of this and other such awful events, what I call the 'hanging is too good for them' brigade begin to start shouting. Why, they say, should we waste time and energy on giving the (alleged) perpetrators of this crime a trial? Hang them now! Get it over with. If anyone disagrees, surely they are condoning child murder? How could anybody think differently?
Well, I think differently. I would not for a second condone any harm to a child. But I think everyone deserves a fair trial and I will explain why.
Firstly, victims of crime deserve it. When harm has been done, people who have been harmed deserve to find out what happened and why. Sadly in the case of Tia Sharp, she does not have that option, but the people who have been deprived of her are also victims and they deserve an explanation.
By making sure the crime has been investigated fully, we as a society can try and prevent it from happening again. Following the death of Baby P a report was published with recommendations about how to stop such a situation occuring again. Fury is understandable, even inevitable, when something so horrendous happens, but not to stop and consider how it came about would be unforgivable.
Perhaps a more selfish, but no less valid, reason for believing that everyone should have a fair trial is that we would all like one. To believe that public opinion is right, and that what is obvious to you is the objective truth, is a viable position only when you think yourself above suspicion. To believe that society should hang someone before trial (or to turn up at their house with flaming torches and pitchforks) seems attractive until the finger of suspicion points to you. As people in one of the most respected professions in our society have discovered, the mob does not always do its research.
Outrage at the death of a child is understandable, but to let our feelings about it cloud our judgement is a recipe for disaster. By having an established process for investigating and prosecuting crime we show respect for victims of crime and provide resources to try and stop the same thing from happening again. The system also assures us that should we be accused (albeit wrongly) there is something standing between us and the pitchfork wielding mob.
However in the wake of this and other such awful events, what I call the 'hanging is too good for them' brigade begin to start shouting. Why, they say, should we waste time and energy on giving the (alleged) perpetrators of this crime a trial? Hang them now! Get it over with. If anyone disagrees, surely they are condoning child murder? How could anybody think differently?
Well, I think differently. I would not for a second condone any harm to a child. But I think everyone deserves a fair trial and I will explain why.
Firstly, victims of crime deserve it. When harm has been done, people who have been harmed deserve to find out what happened and why. Sadly in the case of Tia Sharp, she does not have that option, but the people who have been deprived of her are also victims and they deserve an explanation.
By making sure the crime has been investigated fully, we as a society can try and prevent it from happening again. Following the death of Baby P a report was published with recommendations about how to stop such a situation occuring again. Fury is understandable, even inevitable, when something so horrendous happens, but not to stop and consider how it came about would be unforgivable.
Perhaps a more selfish, but no less valid, reason for believing that everyone should have a fair trial is that we would all like one. To believe that public opinion is right, and that what is obvious to you is the objective truth, is a viable position only when you think yourself above suspicion. To believe that society should hang someone before trial (or to turn up at their house with flaming torches and pitchforks) seems attractive until the finger of suspicion points to you. As people in one of the most respected professions in our society have discovered, the mob does not always do its research.
Outrage at the death of a child is understandable, but to let our feelings about it cloud our judgement is a recipe for disaster. By having an established process for investigating and prosecuting crime we show respect for victims of crime and provide resources to try and stop the same thing from happening again. The system also assures us that should we be accused (albeit wrongly) there is something standing between us and the pitchfork wielding mob.
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