Would you sign this petition

[jules77]

Self explanatory

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/maximum-penal ty-for-the-men-who-hacked-up-a-puppy

[Tom Braider]

I'm pretty sure that no UK court would pay any attention to a petition that tried to influence its sentencing powers. Is it different in Australia?

[jake-the-peg]

Absolutely not.

I do sympathise and it's a dreadful crime but you can't decide someones sentence based on public reaction to news stories.

If you go down that route you end up in a wierd "Legal X-factor" world and justice depends on column inches.

I'm also deeply concerned that the "cuteness" of the victim is a factor - rather than the suffering inflicted.

I find myself wondering about whether the same reaction would be received if it were a squirrel or a sheep.

[Schutzengel]

The men who perpetrated this crime, are subhuman, and should be locked up and the key thrown away. A possible sentence of 2 years is outrageous, and nowhere near sufficient.

[jules77]

jake the peg, this is not public reaction to a news story, it is about public opinion on the sentencing of a terrible crime. It has nothing to do with the 'cuteness' of the victim, in my opinion no one should be allowed to inflict such horrific torture on 'any' animal, a dog, cat, sheep or even a squirrel.

[ruthann58]

lock them away and throw away the car before they turn their sick attentions to a child

[ruthann58]

cuteness has nothing to do with it at all its the fact they are sick individuals who should not be allowed in society

[jake-the-peg]

Right then the petition should be for the increasing of penalties for such crimes.

It should not be for a specific crime with a picture of a cute puppy on the front.

If we start sentencing individuals on that basis things get very messy very fast

[jules77]

well a petition for this particular crime is a good place to start and it may increase the penalties for such crimes in the future.

[frankiecat]

I agree with ruthann58 - some people get their fun killing animals and are destined to kill or traumatise a human being.

I don't know how we will ever 'cure' the world of bad people. They are all around us. Where is the 'fun' in killing a helpless animal? How can that make you feel good?

I have just noticed that I have posted this using my cat's username - sorry, he must have been posting stuff.

Wolf63

[jake-the-peg]

This is an electronic form of mob rule

Why bother with a trial at all?

You've read 72 words for the prosecution and have moved straight to the sentence.

[jules77]

It does say 'if found guilty', we are just giving an opinion on a penalty.

[jake-the-peg]

What happens to the law if a particular crime has a particular sentence and then a bunch of people come along after the fact and change the penalty?

Suppose you got caught on a traffic camera doing 33 in a 30 the Judge said we're having a crack down zero tolerance you'd normally get 3 points but we've decided to make in a 3 month ban?

Would you call that justice?

By all means use this as leverage to get stiffer penalties. But it can't apply to this particular case.

It won't help the dog and the legal precident it would set doesn't bear thinking about.

It's really important! People in this country died fighting against arbitary law.

If people can just set an arbitary sentence outside what the law says for a puppy - they can do it for any crime

[jules77]

But the penalty given in these cases is not stiff enough, that is the whole point, end of.

[ruthann58]

no it wont help the dog but if the bar*tards are locked up for good it might save a child in the future

[garner]

I do think that all animal cruelty cases are far too lenient in their sentences.You have only to read some of the cases in the paper and the mind boggles at the mild fines some of these horrible so called humans get.They are not fit to live in a civilised society.g.

[ruthann58]

i wonder how many animals the three people who tortured the 17month old little boy to death on the news tonight did before they moved on to a child