20 September 2010

On vigilantism

| johnboy
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There’s been a fair bit of chat about the white van driving Tuggeranong man who caught, assaulted, and robbed a 14 year old boy who’d been throwing eggs at cars on Erindale Drive.

So now we’re adding a poll on it to see where community attitudes lie.

Should the government be allowed to plant a tree on your verge?

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Pommy bastard5:27 pm 21 Sep 10

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

the cost of repairing the damage done to the car

Oh noes, scary egg put a huge dent in my tissue paper van. How do you all crack eggs at home without incurring enormous insurance bills, you poor, fragile, dew-eyed little butterflies?

Think again WMC..

Because of its protective composition, egg whites are used for several purposes, including waterproof glue, so it’s easy to understand how this part of the egg can dry and then stick to the surface of car paint. If it is not dealt with quickly, it can become extremely difficult to remove from the surface of the car without wet sanding and repainting the damaged area.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

No, you were being disingenuous by presenting an absurd example.

I may have been giving an absurd example, but since when has giving an overstated example been an unusual occurrence in any hypothetical?

Having re-read vg’s post, I accept that his inclusion of the word “just” makes it much harder for me to take issue with. The intent of my absurd example was to emphasise a situation where intent could well be the defining factor, not to be disingenuous.

I have to agree about people going on about damage to a car. Sure, an egg might damage paint, if you are unlucky, or don’t wash it off. Maybe, rather then assaulting the kid and taking his phone, he could insisted the child wash the car for him.

Woody Mann-Caruso2:55 pm 21 Sep 10

the cost of repairing the damage done to the car

Oh noes, scary egg put a huge dent in my tissue paper van. How do you all crack eggs at home without incurring enormous insurance bills, you poor, fragile, dew-eyed little butterflies?

I asked for clarification.

No, you were being disingenuous by presenting an absurd example.

Pommy bastard1:32 pm 21 Sep 10

Jim Jones said :

Pommy bastard said :

What does one wrong + one right equal Jim? 😉

You don’t seriously think that stealing money and a mobile phone is ‘right’?

If they do not add up to the cost of repairing the damage done to the car no, he should have taken a pound of flesh too.
😉

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

So if I was to yell a a 14 year old (who had been throwing eggs at my car) very loudly, mentioning that they are very impolite…I would be assaulting them?

I thought we were talking about a guy who chased a kid, beat him up and stole his stuff. My mistake.

No, VG questioned BimboGeek’s understanding of the law and I asked for clarification.

The overall thread is about a guy who chased a kid, beat him up and stole his stuff. So yes, your mistake.

Woody Mann-Caruso11:26 am 21 Sep 10

So if I was to yell a a 14 year old (who had been throwing eggs at my car) very loudly, mentioning that they are very impolite…I would be assaulting them?

I thought we were talking about a guy who chased a kid, beat him up and stole his stuff. My mistake.

Pommy bastard said :

What does one wrong + one right equal Jim? 😉

You don’t seriously think that stealing money and a mobile phone is ‘right’?

colourful sydney racing identity11:24 am 21 Sep 10

JessP said :

Legend. Hopefully the kid will think before he next decides to egg cars (and wont do it).

Yes, I join you in applauding people who rob and assault children.

True pillars of society, if only more people behaved in such a manner the streets would be so much safer, oh wait…

Legend. Hopefully the kid will think before he next decides to egg cars (and wont do it).

Mind you if you have reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has occured and are in the process of arresting the person as a civilian. Reasonable force is appropriate.

I can’t imagine the police or any magistrate considering yelling over traffic and with reasonable anger/frustration to be a show of force sufficient to constitute assault. Any fear the youth might be experiencing would be from the situation (I’ve been busted doing something wrong).

vg said :

BimboGeek said :

It’s only assault if you’re genuinely acting in a way that says physical violence is next. “Showing force” is the legalese. A thorough dressing down with no threat of violence is not assault even if the subject of your wrath says “I’m frightened.”

Threatening violence is rightly illegal in the same way that rape, kidnapping, coercion, intimidation, etc. are all considered to have taken place whether the victim was physically forced or simply frightened with an overt or implied threat.

You’re new to the law, aren’t you. Assault is not just about your intent, its about a fear or apprehension that is raised in the ‘victim’.

You don’t know what you’re talking about

So if I was to yell a a 14 year old (who had been throwing eggs at my car) very loudly, mentioning that they are very impolite, that they shouldn’t be doing that, that I would like to know their name so I can tell the police, etc, and they were to become fearful and apprehensive, I would be assaulting them? Even if everything I was yelling was true, at yelling in itself was necessary due to being next to a major road while the intended target was running away?

Pommy bastard3:29 pm 20 Sep 10

What does one wrong + one right equal Jim? 😉

Silly me … apparently two wrongs do make a right.

BimboGeek said :

It’s only assault if you’re genuinely acting in a way that says physical violence is next. “Showing force” is the legalese. A thorough dressing down with no threat of violence is not assault even if the subject of your wrath says “I’m frightened.”

Threatening violence is rightly illegal in the same way that rape, kidnapping, coercion, intimidation, etc. are all considered to have taken place whether the victim was physically forced or simply frightened with an overt or implied threat.

You’re new to the law, aren’t you. Assault is not just about your intent, its about a fear or apprehension that is raised in the ‘victim’.

You don’t know what you’re talking about

It’s only assault if you’re genuinely acting in a way that says physical violence is next. “Showing force” is the legalese. A thorough dressing down with no threat of violence is not assault even if the subject of your wrath says “I’m frightened.”

Threatening violence is rightly illegal in the same way that rape, kidnapping, coercion, intimidation, etc. are all considered to have taken place whether the victim was physically forced or simply frightened with an overt or implied threat.

la mente torbida12:17 pm 20 Sep 10

Assault…big net being cast here…what level of assault? Yelling loudly at a youth could be considered assault.

hoax 2 kid’s claim/report

this poll *seems* legit 😛

It’s called Karma kids…..

Are you talking about policing or rehabilitation?

Citizens should defend their communities but we shouldn’t deal out arbitrary punishments.

Of course everyone’s just having a laugh so I voted “Kill him! Bite off his head!”

I bet they don’t do it again.

I think that Should be discouraged unless someone is committing an crime against me. Then I shall extract swift and brutal retribution.

Hoax? Are you talking about the car-egging, the kid claiming he was mugged by someone, or the poll?

probably a hoax anyhow…

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