Would you shop your loved ones?
@owlwings (43897)
Cambridge, England
June 12, 2008 11:44am CST
"The wife of a would-be London bomber has been jailed for 15 years for not telling police about his plans for "carnage and mass murder" on July 21, 2005."
(Full story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080612/tuk-21-7-wife-jailed-for-keeping-plot-a-45dbed5.html )
My question is, If you knew or suspected that your wife/husband/partner/son/daughter had committed a serious crime involving someone's life, would you go to the police?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@nannacroc (4049)
•
12 Jun 08
Yes I would, it would be very upsetting but, as far as I'm concerned, it would be the only course of action.
A mother recently told the police aboout her own sons involvement in a serious crime and it has divided her family. I think she was right and I'm sure the rest of my family would support the decision.
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
12 Jun 08
Nice to see you around, Nannacroc. Yes, I know that case where the mother found a knife under the boy's mattress. I believe that she did the proper thing (and I don't think the boy got more than a very severe warning, actually). The report said that he is growing up to be a responsible lad and a strong influence with his younger brothers.
Emotions run high at times like these and not everyone's emotions guide them well. It's only afterwards that one understands that the best thing was done.
1 person likes this
@nannacroc (4049)
•
12 Jun 08
I think that was a different one to the one I saw, this womans two teenage sons had viciously attacked a man and left him blind and disabled. There are far too many of these crimes nowadays and parents need to take some responsibility.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
12 Jun 08
Yes, that was a different case, which I hadn't seen. I agree that the idea of 'grassing' on friends or loved ones needs to be dealt with. I believe that it's that fear of condemnation for 'betraying' not only one's friends and loved ones but the 'community ethos' which is the reason why many more people don't report crimes that they know of.
1 person likes this
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
12 Jun 08
According to this article, she did much more than just withhold information... she actually helped him to escape.
This makes her an accessory to the crime because she actively participated in the escape, and apparently had other knowledge as well.
She is not innocent by any definition of the word.
Even though I know my wife would never do such a thing, my answer to your question is yes. This woman should have come forward, and the fact that she did not makes her just as guilty as him because she was in fact aiding the commission of that crime.
2 people like this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
12 Jun 08
Hi there Destiny, I will be honest I did not read the article at first untill I saw your post here. I was thinking 15 years was a steep punishment for only having some knowledge that her husband was or thinking about doing something like this... You are so right that she was a participant in the crime.
1 person likes this
@rmuxagirl (7548)
• United States
12 Jun 08
I would definitely go to the police. Yes they are my family and I love them dearly, but if the committed a crime I have a higher responsibility to turn them in.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
12 Jun 08
It's an agonising decision to have to make and not everyone could do it. Knowing the loyalty that many wives of that culture are brought up to feel for their husbands, I can understand why she didn't go to the police, even if she didn't agree with his philosophy (and, of course, she may have been in collusion). Understanding a person's actions does not, of course, mitigate the crime, nor should it tend to reduce the sentence.
@dorypanda (1601)
•
16 Jun 08
I saw the news about that the other day. I certainly would shop anyone who was doing something extremely illegal. I wouldn't shop them for doing something like watching a copy of a DVD or for using a copied game. I certainly would shop them if they were plotting a terrorist attic, a murder, a robbery or anything like that.
My son accidentally took some sweets from a shop without paying for them when he was about five, I took him back to the shop and told him to give them back and to apologise to the shop keeper for taking them and to explain that it was an accident. I think children should learn what's right and wrong from an early age.
If my son did something illegal I certainly would do something about it, firstly I'd deal with him myself, then I'd get other people involved if nescessary.
1 person likes this
@tammyr (5945)
• Etowah, Tennessee
13 Jun 08
If it was something of this nature, without a second thought!! I prob wouldn't for some minor things depends on what it was, but to plan to kill, no mater what the circumstance, yes, I'd tell and hope they would get the help they need!
1 person likes this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
12 Jun 08
My understanding at least as far as the laws here in the states was concerned was that you could not force a spouse to testify against his/her spouse. This would be a hard call, but I do believe fear for the safety and lives of other pople would motivate me to do so.
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@pumpkinjam (8876)
• United Kingdom
12 Jun 08
If I knew then yes, I think I would absolutely do that if someone elses life was in danger. However if I only suspected then I might not. Although for that sort of thing, I imagine that I would mention it to someone if I had a strong suspicion and reasono to think that they had such intentions.
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