What examples are there of mob punishment of innocent people?

Question

Three come immediately come to mind as examples:

1. Paediatricians (one hounded out of his home in Portsmouth following the Sarah Payne campaign)

2. Swarthy Foreign-looking gentlemen (Brazilian pursued and then shot dead by police for looking like a terrorist on the London Underground)

3. Those who might look like Maxine Carr (girlfriend of the Soham murderer whose only crime was to lie for her boyfriend, and who is in hiding having changed her identity, and is still being pursued by brick-wielding vigilantes; so too is any woman vaguely resembling her who cannot explain her past life adequately).

Any more come to mind?

Answer 1

I remember the Portsmouth case, though I didn't think it had led to murder. When people say 'ignorance is bliss' they should remind themselves of the realities of life. Education, something New Labour seeks to disrupt, is vital in a civilised society.

Answer 2

that's the trouble when they create fear,vigil-anti groups etc,most just want to feel safe,but like mentioned to many start taking things into there own hands,it usually occurs when there doesn't seem to be anything getting done,it happened when they created the s*x register which had the opposite affect,as it just drove them to ground,where they did not know where or with who they were with.maxine car knew what he had done,as well as other things she didn't get long enough if you ask me,still that's no excuse to be chased with bricks,and to take the law into your own hands.as is usual with things they can always have devastating consequences,its best to leave it to the professionals,but would you like to know you have child molesters etc living next to you.peAce.

Answer 3

The Portsmouth case was a paediatrician who was murdered by people who did not know the difference between a paediatrician and a paedophile.

Recently there was a couple in India or Pakistan (I forget which) that were murdered because they came from different families where is was wrong for the to just fall in love.

We live in a sad world.

Answer 4

For one Maxine Carr lied knowing that he had killed two little girls slightly different to your version . The Brazilian lad tragedy was more than he just look swarthy it was the fact he came from the wrong place a the wrong time , policemen were hyped up as anybody would have been thinking that they could be blown to kingdom come any second , why don't you try being in that position and see how you would cope . (And i have been there in the army) . As for vigilantes , there would be none if this stupid government would stop hiding paedophiles in amongst the community and not informing parents that a dangerous man was amongst them , so they were not in fear for there children . when that happens as it always will with this government policy , people lose all sense of reason and although i do not condone it i understand it.

Answer 5

the first example are doctors who treat children, you mean

paedophiles, who deserve everything they get.

secondly the Brazilian was killed by the British police, and they should have stopped him well before he was allowed to actually get on a train, he might be still alive now if they had, so down to the police being more than just stupid.

The third, people can be very stupid, as you say Maxine Carr lookalikes, who have been hounded out. The trouble is some people are trouble makers and will make life h**l for someone no matter whether they look like Carr or Mother Theresa, and those people should be prosecuted, but the law in that regard is an a rse

many women, mothers,  who have been hounded because they gave up their criminal children to the police, apparently its not good to grass, even if they do something so heinous that causes the death of another, those who do the hounding should be more than ashamed of themselves.

Probably lots more, but we live in very sad times

Answer 6

there was a guy in my home town,nobody new him well and because he kept himself to himself people made judgments about him,at first they just talked but the more people talked the more out of hand the situation became,his house was egged,stoned and at the end the poor bloke"who had done nothing wrong"was convicted by the mob rule of being a pedo,he was badly beaten and after that he moved away.Now there was no evidence to say that he was a pedo,it was all chinese rumours,the police tried to convince them they were wrong but the paranoia had spread to the whole community and once that happens there's no way to turn back the clock,what's that saying people use,theres no smoke without fire.What about facts and innocence.