Friday, January 14, 2011

Torture seems to be the hardest word

Counsel for the accused Jo Wickliffe said she was concerned about media coverage and the possible effects that could have on a fair trial. Ms Wickliffe objected to media reports updating the condition of the nine-year-old girl and the use of the word 'torture'.
Torture must be such a difficult word to contemplate when you are representing the torturers. However, in the circumstances -
The woman, 30, and her 32-year-old husband were arrested after the girl was found hiding in a wardrobe last month, with injuries to nearly every part of her body. She was starving, dehydrated and anaemic from internal bleeding.
- it is difficult to think of anything more suitable

3 comments:

Bill Bennett said...

Sometimes you can't can't spin-doctor your way out of this kind of thing. Perhaps she should cast the accused as humanity-challenged?

Anonymous said...

Aren't we supposed to call it 'enhanced interrogation' these days?

Elisabeth said...

I'm not condoning this behaviour, but if we were to look into the experience of these abusine parents, there just might be mitigating circumstances, or at least a better way of understanding why they might have behaved as they have.

It's unfathomable otherwise. And is quite unforgivable. Still from my understanding those who delight in torturing others, particularly children, have sometimes - often, been tortured themselves as children in some way or other.

This is not to condone, but to seek greater understanding. In time more may be revealed.

In my book, everyone deserves a 'fair' trial however difficult that might be to achieve.