Monday, March 31, 2008

Six weeks for a death.

Last week I posted about Dubai Police saying they would appeal a lenient sentence handed down by the Traffic Court. They're saying the same about another appallingly lenient sentence today.

Having obtained his licence five months ago, a driver was travelling at 150kph on an 80kph road. He lost control and ploughed into a group of road maintenance workers, killing two and injuring fourteen others.

The court thought a sentence of three months and a six month driving ban was adequate.

Three months.

Take a life and spend six weeks in jail.

Oh, and diyyah, or 'blood money' - which is simply an emotive word for insurance.

Salah Bu Farousha, the Head of Dubai's Traffic Public Prosecution says:

"We will study the reasons of the verdict sheet thoroughly... then we will appeal the initial ruling to the higher court and ask for the implementation of the toughest punishment applicable."

Good for him, and as with last week's case I wish him luck.

We have to get these killers off the roads and locked up where they belong, but the courts aren't helping.

Gulf News has the story.

3 comments:

i*maginate said...

This story makes my blood boil.

LDU said...

3 months - 12 weeks?

A few days ago, a guy here got a 10 year sentence for driving into a group of teenagers resulting in some deaths.

Harsh sentences are needed for offences of this nature.

Seabee said...

LDU, yes I read that somewhere - yet we still complain in Oz that sentences are too lenient.

There's another story reported today about another lenient sentence here - I was going to post about it but was distracted. I'll do it soon...