Although efforts are still being made to persuade Singapore to choose a different path, Australia "has ruled out an appeal to the International Court of Justice, believing that would fail." Some are basically writing it all off to "when in Rome . . ." The Catholic Bishops from Australia have written Singapore's Prime Minister to ask for clemency. And opposition members are blaming the fact that the Australian will be killed on the fact that Singapore isn't a democracy (because, as we all know, democracy was the reason we got rid of it here in the States).
And, finally, the situation has cost Singapore's hangman his job. Australian press reports ran pictures revealing who he was and the government removed him. He regrets the fact he will no longer be earning his $400 per execution.
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Last week the former singer Gary Glitter, who is a citizen of the UK, was detained in Vietnam and has now been charged with molesting and raping young girls. In Vietnam, not exactly a democratic country, that charge can carry the death penalty. If abundant news articles are any indication, there will not be any public support for him, quite the contrary. Some papers, are calling for him to be executed, given the nature of the charges. Quote a Home Office spokeswoman: “We would always prefer someone is prosecuted in the country where the offence is committed, but if not we have the power to look into it here.” (The Times, Nov22)
So much for principled opposition to the death penalty and foreign legal systems. Perhaps he should have dealt drugs or killed somebody, he'd be better off, but a sex charge involving underage girls, not a chance of even a fair trial.
No one likes a paedophile. Not even hardened criminals. Perhaps my own views are extreme, but the liberals in the UK don't seem to be dealing with violent offenders very well. There is a very high percentage that reoffends within the first 2 years of their release, showing that re-habilitation just doesn't work sometimes. If we don't execute we must lock up and throw away the key. People are secretly hoping that Garry Glitter will get his just-deserts, especially because we [the Brits] have lost the bottle.
As for Michael Jackson moving to his own island...wonder how long that will last.
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