BARBARIC CRIME AND BARBARIC PUNISHMENT
At about 6.45pm on April 15th 2008, a 22-year-old University Malaysia Sabah student and her friends were heading for a religious function when she was pulled into a stolen Kancil. During the ordeal, before being rescued at 4am on the 16th, she was punched, kicked, bitten and raped several times by her two kidnappers. This was truly a barbaric crime and the student will need much prayer and counseling to assist her in recovering from such a horrendous trauma. The police are to be congratulated for arresting the two suspects within ten hours.
On April 25th the two men aged 20 and 29 were sentenced to 28 years imprisonment and 20 strokes of the rotan and 32 years imprisonment and 25 strokes of the rotan, respectively.
It is regrettable that the government responds to such a barbaric crime by meting out a barbaric punishment- 20 and 25 strokes of the rotan. The Oxford dictionary describes ‘barbaric’ as ‘brutal, cruel, (flogging is barbaric).’ It is reported that “the flogger dons a surgical mask to prevent bits of flesh from flying into his face,” and photographs and video clips can be seen of the bleeding buttocks of convicts who were whipped for various offenses. Such brutal punishment clearly contravenes Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: ‘No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ and so there is no room for discussion as to whether or not the use of the rotan deters the crime. Whilst strongly condemning their barbarous criminal actions, those who are found guilty are still entitled to basic human rights and treatment. Two acts of barbarism (wrongs) do not make a right!
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