Should Britain take a tighter line on murder videos?

[incuriam]

Should Britians be legally entitled to download footage of hostage executions from the web? If so, what does this say about our hardline stance on child porn? If not, what does this say about our civil rights?  

 

[el duerino]

Its an interesting question, although I would not use child pornography as a comparison. One is a depraved sexual act done purely for personal pleasure and perhaps financial gain, the other is intended as a form of political and religious statement, though it is of the basest level. I am undecided as to whether such executions should be regarded as political, but for now we will assume it for this question. Morally, watching such acts is ambiguous, not everyone who watches them will be a death freak. Many on here have admitted to watching them out of morbid curiosity, I myself watched the first one and felt horrified of myself. We represent death and violence all the time, horrific deaths can be seen in 15 certificate films these days, is the fact that it is 'real' basis enough to condemn watching it?

hmmm. This requires some in depth thought, I will reply when I have considered it a bit more.

[Oneeyedvic]

I have not thought this all the way through, but as a snap reaction I would say that people should not be able to download these execution videos. I personally would compare it to child porn - people may find both interesting, but both are sick and depraved acts. Whether you say you are doing it for political reasons are as irrelevant as those who try to rely on the defense of "i was doing research" when caught with child porn on their computer.

It is not your civil right to view these videos, just as it is not a civil right to protect your home by any means, carry a weapon (if you are in the UK), or watch child porn.

I will always condone those poeple who do watch these videos, but they will always defend their views. My view is that there probably should be a ban

[ll_billym]

I don't think that it is a legal matter really.  We can watch other crimes TV shows, such as armed robbery, football violence etc. so why not murder?

[Oneeyedvic]

There is a very major difference between fiction and non-fiction or reality and documentaries.

If people think Ken Bigley's death is the same as watching a saturday night movie....

[georgit79]

I was about to wade in with my own views on how sick I think this is, but then I read your answer, el deurino. So now I'm going to take some time to consider the question...although I think I'll still rely on my snap judgement- that it's sick, and should not be readily available on the web. Remember, not all homes have child barriers for this sort of stuff (although I don't think adults should be watching it either).

[jimmer]

hummm. What a good question. The images of executions are not intended to be pornographic but there is a victim. Obviously, child porn is illegal but i am not sure of the legality of downloading and storing images of executions. Could it be covered under a public decency act or some such thing. Anyway, where there is a victim involved, their human rights must be considered as well as any potential future victims. It could be argued that allowing such downloads gives publicity to the terrorists and encourages further executions.

 

jim

[camille79]

I was always under the impression that crackdowns on porn were to prevent children being violated for these films through reducing the "demand" for the product.  I shouldn't imagine that kidhappings in iraq would cease if the footage could not be downloaded, just because we don't watch it (and I haven't not couldn't) doesn't mean it hasn't happened and that a man is dead.  Indeed, if you want to go down that path then you could blame the huge press coverage of Mr Bigley and his colleagues for making them such high-profile, and thus more vulnerable.

I suppose it is only human to relate more to Brits with families like our own, especially when such a picture has been built by the tabloids.  However, on terrestrial news programmes in recent years I have seen burnt corpses, dying children, mutilated corpses, a young boy being shot dead by Israeli troops, and most recently the near-naked corpses of victims of the Russian school siege.  I cannot recall any outcry at any of these images...........

 

 

[Ralph]

There is also the whole censorship/ nanny state debate involved in this question. You wouldn't have to click very far before you found people getting upset about the government treating them like children. Would the targetted banning of certain material on the internet not be nanny state-like? Would it not be worse than this and be the start of a Chinese style wholesale censorship? At the moment it's up to you whether you watch this stuff or not. Personally I think it's best if it stays like that.

[LeMarchand]

I thought that "snuff" movies  - as that's what they amount to - were considered illegal. I'm also disappointed (but not surprised given the popularity of voyeuristic TV shows) by the amount of people who have watched this.