Gang warfare - collective responsibility
 

Did anyone see this Beeb programme last week about this. I thought it was quite disturbing.

Briefly the police and DPP consider you equally guilty if, say, you hang around in a gang whose leader picks on a rival gang member and harms or kills him. This means if you take no part, aside from just being there, then you could be done for murder.

Granted other gang members are not completely innocent but this law seems a bit OTT. What do you reckon?

And what would happen if a group of police when controlling a rough demo and one cop loses it and bashes a demonstrator on the head, causing a fatal injury as chap smashes head on kerb then all the cops should be charged with murder/manslaughter. Can't see that happening somehow.

dl

Agreed David, I saw it too and thought that locking the young lad (Jordan Cunliffe?) up was a travesty. Deeply disturbing in a civilised society.

Hmmm, this does not seem to detur gang members in the USA and face it the w@nkers joining these gangs think they are in LA syle gangs. It just will not work in isolation

No easy answer other than comminities, parents, police, CPS and schools getting together to combat gangs, gang culture this but is starts with the parents...It is not just about money and facilities it is much more than that and it does start at home!

What was the term they coined - "Joint Enterprise?"

I felt the programme was quite informative and that there was no convincing yes or no answer. Each case should be heard independently of former precedent to ensure fairness. good point about the police david but I can't exactly see the CPS lining up to push it through the courts.

Gang members should be shipped to the Middle East for mine sweeping.

The thing that struck me was that this wasn't some new police "thinking" but was actually happening with non-participating gang members shown locked up for life. And yes there were far too many unanswered questions.

Agree about the police and CPS who would either try and keep quiet or claim that a prosecution "would not be in the public interest". But of course exactly the opposite would be true.

david

I believe this has been part of British law for a very long time. If you are associated with a group which commits crimes then you are considered to be responsible for what they do.

Les

*cough* politicians *cough* expenses *cough*

;)

Well I thought there was a differential in sentencing depending on your role in the crime? May be I got this wrong.

So in a bank raid for example the guy shooting the guard gets a heavy sentence but the getaway driver gets less and the girlfriend back home gets a light sentence for spending some of the cash.

dl

I reckon the getaway driver and the shooting man should be equally responsible for the whole crime. As far as the driver is concerned, the remedy is pretty obvious.

Same thing for the members of a disruptive gang.

Les