Street Children
This terrified boy, caught out alone at night, is about to be shot by Brazilian police officers. Street children are a big problem in many parts of the world, from India to Russia. They are thrown out by their parents, who can't afford to feed them, and must survive alone or in gangs, stealing, begging or prostituting themselves. For years Latin America has been infamous for its death squads that hunt and kill street children. The police officers above shot this boy several times in the chest and left him for dead. He survived. The attack was recorded by a private security camera. Ironically, this boy did have a family to go home to. He wasn't truly a street child. His attempted murder was in August 2010. Afraid of police reprisals, the family, the person in charge of the security camera and the reporter he showed the video to all dithered over reporting the crime. Recently they decided they must report it. The boy and his family are now in a witness protection programme. Five police officers have been arrested and face charges of attempted homicide. It puts today's anti-cuts march in London into perspective.
posted by Unknown @ 26.3.11
2 comments
2 Comments:
Too often people accept the attitude that the end justifies the means - and "collateral damage" to innocents is usually called "unfortunate".
The public often cries for someone, anyone, to be hung - so they can feel "safe". They don't want to question the actual evidence too closely.
As the Chinese saying goes: "Kill the chickens to scare the monkeys".
True. However, murdered street children aren't "collateral damage". They are the targets of death squads in South American countries, which are Catholic. No contraception means too many kids to feed. Hence the death squads. Contraception would be a lot more humane, but try telling the Church that.
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