Children - Not a Priority

[DanS]

Finland has a low crime rate, but a high murder rate.

It's pretty insane that this guy would only get 10 years. I would guess that he would rightly get life in the US.

[JohnT]

Dan, he's only getting 5 years - sentences are cut in half for first-offenders.

[DanS]

5 years? Ummm... Wow.

Where are the vigilantes when you need them? Supercitizen?

[Dinner]

Finland's justice system sounds screwed up.

[Pekka]

DanS, exacto.. you know this dude will get his in the prison, but still... I mean... this screams vigilantism, which is exactly what we should avoid.

Oerdin, yeah tell me about it. I make these threads all the time, too. I'm not alwyas picking up the most outrageous cases even, so this is the norm. Just the idea, that you can molest 445 kids, so what if it happens in another country, that you can't sit more than 5 years in real life in prison. Remember, these are his victims in Thailand, the ones he himself wrote down to his memoirs and filmed etc. There's bound to be more.

As for a rule, if you rape a kid, you don't go to prison. You'll get like a year or 18 months paroled sentence. Rape a woman, you'll get less. Maybe a year paroled. Kill a person, if stabbing, anywhere from 2 years to 5 or 6 years, out in less. Man, you can kill a person by stuffing a knife into their stomach and repeat 20 times, and get out in year.

Crime rate is low. MUrder rate AND VIOLENT CRIME rate is HIGH HIGH HIGH. REmember, when talking about sentences, you don't get sentenced in here for just moletsing or little torture gaming someone. So those sometimes won't even show in statistics. It has to be a god damn pulp fiction type kill to make it to the news sometimes.

So, is it safe in here? yes it is. But justice system is not working.

[DanS]

but still... I mean... this screams vigilantism, which is exactly what we should avoid.

I hear ya. If society would protect itself through the law, then that would be mucho preferable.

How does this state of affairs perpetuate itself? Aren't the politicians responsive to the public?

[Combat Ingrid]

Sounds as f-cked up as the Swedish justice system. A satanist murdered an Algerian gay back in -97 or -98 and got 8 years jail, which is a lot here. Last year, he was released and his band (Dissection) could go out on tour again as if nothing had happened. Great!

Also, as we had a thread on some while ago, if you gang-rape drunk girls here, it's essentially the girl's own fault, and you will either not get prison at all or you will get a very mild sentence

[Pekka]

OK what people need to understand is not the 10 years. The need to realize, that it is the absolute MAXIMUM he can get. OK.. that's when they go extreme with the sentence. AND it is automatical, that as first timer, he will get out in half. OK, so 5 years is the absolute theoretical MAXIMUM. THAT's the problem. It's not that the court went easy on him.. ****... it's that the maximum penalty carries this. Of course, and the courts are not pursuing the most extreme in most times, except in outrageous crimes, like this could be. But if child molestation carries the maximum penalty of 10 years, it would be trivial that this is the case to pursue it. I mean, child molestation times 445 is pretty simple mathematics.

[DanS]

Welcome to the US...

2004 Federal Sentencing Guidelines
Chapter 2 - PART A - OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON
1. HOMICIDE
§2A1.1. First Degree Murder

(a) Base Offense Level: 43

Commentary

Statutory Provisions: 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111, 2113(e), 2118(c)(2), 2332b(a)(1), 2340A; 21 U.S.C. § 848(e). For additional statutory provision(s), see Appendix A (Statutory Index).

Application Notes:

1. Applicability of Guideline.—This guideline applies in cases of premeditated killing. This guideline also applies when death results from the commission of certain felonies. For example, this guideline may be applied as a result of a cross reference (e.g., a kidnapping in which death occurs), or in cases in which the offense level of a guideline is calculated using the underlying crime (e.g., murder in aid of racketeering).

2. Imposition of Life Sentence.—

(A) Offenses Involving Premeditated Killing.—In the case of premeditated killing, life imprisonment is the appropriate sentence if a sentence of death is not imposed. A downward departure would not be appropriate in such a case. A downward departure from a mandatory statutory term of life imprisonment is permissible only in cases in which the government files a motion for a downward departure for the defendant’s substantial assistance, as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e).

(B) Felony Murder.—If the defendant did not cause the death intentionally or knowingly, a downward departure may be warranted. For example, a downward departure may be warranted if in robbing a bank, the defendant merely passed a note to the teller, as a result of which the teller had a heart attack and died. The extent of the departure should be based upon the defendant’s state of mind (e.g., recklessness or negligence), the degree of risk inherent in the conduct, and the nature of the underlying offense conduct. However, departure below the minimum guideline sentence provided for second degree murder in §2A1.2 (Second Degree Murder) is not likely to be appropriate. Also, because death obviously is an aggravating factor, it necessarily would be inappropriate to impose a sentence at a level below that which the guideline for the underlying offense requires in the absence of death.

3. Applicability of Guideline When Death Sentence Not Imposed.—If the defendant is sentenced pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3591 et seq. or 21 U.S.C. § 848(e), a sentence of death may be imposed under the specific provisions contained in that statute. This guideline applies when a sentence of death is not imposed under those specific provisions.

http://www.ussc.gov/2004guid/tabcon04_1.htm

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Finland's justice system sounds screwed up.

Coming from an American?!

[Pekka]

Yes, it is screwed in here. We might be the two extremes, but hey, it doesn't make our system not screwed.

[DanS]

Here's the sentencing table for federal offenses...

http://www.ussc.gov/2004guid/5a.htm

This guy would be getting at least 97 months per count, given that he doesn't have a criminal history.

[VetLegion]

DanS, so how much would he get in the USA?

[DanS]

Life, unless the Fountain of Youth is discovered in the meantime.

[chequita guevara]

Triple life.