Is Vigilante Justice Ever Right?

Written by B.J. Murrey

Friday, 30 January 2009 09:05

I have been reading a lot of articles like this one over the last few months of living in Guatemala. Here, there are not enough police to control the gangs, who are controlled largely by organized crime. The organized crime groups have newer and better equipment, weapons and communication that the National Civil Police force. Some residents, fed up with the crime in their neighborhoods and towns, started taking justice into their own hands, while the police remain incapable of, unconcerned with the investigation and prosecution of these violent crimes. (or maybe the Police force is just too busy participating in lawlessness to be able to stop it!)

Sadly, when an assailant, kidnapper, or other is caught, usually they are set on fire before being lynched. There were over 100 cases of lynchings last year. Earlier in the new melinium there was a Japanese touris who was lynched here for picking up a crying child in an effort to console him. Locals thought he was trying to kidnap the child, and he was hung. This fluke however is not the norm, and likewise I am sure in a justice system there is just as many cases of injustice. However the question remains...