Saudi Court Considers Severing Criminal's Spine

[Beachlover]

Heh... Maybe this will bring "Oops" back:

http://www.news.com.au/national/court-c ... 5907580098

Court considers paralysis punishment

A SAUDI court may ask doctors to deliberately sever a criminal's spinal cord as a gruesome punishment for leaving another man crippled.

The court, in the northwestern province of Tabuk, has apparently sought medical advice on whether it is possible to surgically paralyse the defendant, who has not been named, Emirates 24/7 reported overnight.

He has admitted attacking a man with a meat cleaver two years ago, leaving him crippled, the news website said, citing reports in the Arabic language newspaper Okaz.
In Saudi Arabia, the criminal justice system has been known to dish out barbaric sentences in accordance with the ancient Babylonian code of Hammurabi, which advocates "an eye for an eye".

The victim, Abdul Aziz Al Mutairi, 22, demanded that his attacker suffer the same injury. And he told Okaz that at least one hospital had agreed the chilling procedure was medically feasible.

A judge at Tabuk General Court is reportedly waiting on responses from surgeons before issuing his sentence.
Human rights groups have routinely attacked Saudi courts for falling below international standards and imposing brutal punishments, such as cutting off the hands of thieves.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/court-c ... z0x6v0Ewkt

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[allieb]

Beachlover

I have lived in Saudi for over 20 years. Let me set the record straight. First of all hand amputations are not carried out for simple theft. That rule is applied to violent armed robberey. For example bank robbery piracy and highway robbery. Nobody looses their hand for shoplifting, stealing a car housebreaking or even large scale embezzlement. For that they will be beaten and a prison sentence

The death penalty for murder can be cancelled by the victims family upon an agreed payment of blood money. Befor the death penalty is carried out mediators try to convince the victims family to take the money. If the murderer doesn't have money collections are made or charities come up with the money. In any case the death penalty is not carried out for at least 3 years while all this is going on. At the end in execution square the victims family must attend and give the final nod to the executioner. In many cases they do not give the nod and forgive for as they say, a bigger reward from God.

The streets here are safe. Murder is usually between family members over some kind of squable. Bank robberies are almost unheard of.

Lastly although the case you have pasted seems strange let me ask you the following. What would you do if your mother father brother or sister was attacked with a meat cleaver and left in a wheel chair? Would you forgive the attacker? I think although harsh, looking from a family point of view, the attacker will get what he deserves and a message is sent out to others. Having said that, before the sentence is carred out the victim still has a couple of years to forgive his attacker the mediation process will go on and the victim must attend and give the final nod to the hospital.

[Bob]

That defense (the streets are safe) sounds a bit like the end justifying the means. I mean we certainly could make the streets even safer by simply killing every criminal, couldn't we?

Certain practices are simply barbaric in my book and even the possibility or contemplation of same says a lot about the backwardness of a society. Cutting off limbs, stoning to death, or severing of somebody's spine belongs in the dark ages and a testament to what Merton coined as man's inhumanity to man.

[Beachlover]

Interesting... I wasn't aware of this mediation process and the role played by the victim's family.

Anyhow, I don't have a fixed opinion on this thing... Just an interesting article to post.

[catawampuscat]

I have read about castration for child rapists in the USA.. I believe it is "chemical"
castration and prevents sexual urges and/or makes the penis useless except for urination..
I also know that castration was used in the harems in places like Saudi and also
in China in the Emperor's employ in former times.

Do the Saudi's cut off the offending member of serial rapists?

[Bob]

I have read about castration for child rapists in the USA.. I believe it is "chemical" castration and prevents sexual urges and/or makes the penis useless except for urination..

Yep, it's only chemical castration (as opposed to surgical) and, when the medication routine is halted, it's apparently completely reversibile. Only nine states have experimented with this and it's usually reserved for repeat offenders and/or those who voluntarily agree to it in order to reduce their prison stay. I've no clue about its effectiveness.

[allieb]

I have read about castration for child rapists in the USA.. I believe it is "chemical"
castration and prevents sexual urges and/or makes the penis useless except for urination..
I also know that castration was used in the harems in places like Saudi and also
in China in the Emperor's employ in former times.

Do the Saudi's cut off the offending member of serial rapists?

No they are executed. I dont agree with the Saudi legal system but attached is a chart showing countries with the most and least murder rates, USA is no 24 Thailand is no. 14 and Saudi Arabia is 61 only beaten by Qatar last at 62. Qatar has a similar legal system. Go figure http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cr...ers-per-capita

It seems that 5,000 people are murdered in Thailand every year ,125,000 in the USA and 100 in Saudi Arabia

[Beachlover]

Not sure those numbers you gave make sense. How can Thailand have a higher murder rate than the US when Thailand's murder rate is 5,000/60,000,000 vs USA's murder rate of 125,000/300,000,000?

Anyway, there are many other factors involved. Severity of punishment is only one of them. I think it plays a significant but small role.

Australia, UK, Canada all have less harsh penalties than the US (death penalty) yet they achieved rankings of 43 to 46. New Zealand, similarly achieved a ranking of 52.

[allieb]

Not sure those numbers you gave make sense. How can Thailand have a higher murder rate than the US when Thailand's murder rate is 5,000/60,000,000 vs USA's murder rate of 125,000/300,000,000?

Anyway, there are many other factors involved. Severity of punishment is only one of them. I think it plays a significant but small role.

Australia, UK, Canada all have less harsh penalties than the US (death penalty) yet they achieved rankings of 43 to 46. New Zealand, similarly achieved a ranking of 52.

I think I put one too many zeros for USA Should Be 12,500 Anyway the numbers are there in the rankings.

[Beachlover]

Ah, totally right. That explains it.