It's about time!! 55 year sentence.

[jim boy]

Originally posted by ah_19

to prevent the pity/sympathy towards a muslims or to prevent hatred/reactions towards the muslim community?

I haven't read any news reports other than what's mentioned here, but is this guy Muslim? Lebanon is 30% Christian, but a much greater proportion of emigrants are Christian because of Syria's stranglehold on the country has led to alot of power being granted to Muslims.

If someone was to say to me that so and so emigrated from Lebanon, I would have assumed they were Christian. Or do people just think that if you come from the Middle East, you must be Muslim?

 

[Shinboners]

Originally posted by Zombie

Playing the devils advocate for a second, if this guy had murdered his victims in order to dispose of the evidence what sort of sentence would he have received for the murder, 20 -30 years?

Is this sending the message to potential rapists out there that you might aswell completely get rid of their victims because not only a) do you have a possible chance that no one will ever know about it, but also b) if you do get caught it will give you a lighter sentence. Just a question.

Perhaps he would have received 20 to 30 years for the murder on top of the 55 years for the rapes. There were 3 gang rapes (or at least 3 victims willing to testify). If he murdered all of them, then he would qualify as a serial killer and would get life for his crimes (or in Victoria, gaol at the governer's pleasure).

You have to remember that the 55 years was given not only due to the rape per se, but also the circumstances leading up to the crime (the level of organisation in committing the crime), the nature of the rape itself (a gang rape), and the lack of remorse shown by the criminal. I would think that other rape offences would attract the normal sentences.

However, the key point that the civil liberertains use in arguing against the death penalty is that the criminal never thinks they will get caught and thus will never have to face the justice system. I don't think it's any different in this case with the difference between 55 years for a gang rape and 20-30 years for murder. And I think that there is a large pyschological step that has to be taken from committing a rape to actually killing someone.

As I said earlier, it's not a matter of rape vs murder. The circumstances and nature of the crime itself must be looked at. I doubt very much that there will be an increase in rapes leading to murders due to this penalty that has been handed out.

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by Jim Boy
I haven't read any news reports other than what's mentioned here, but is this guy Muslim? Lebanon is 30% Christian, but a much greater proportion of emigrants are Christian because of Syria's stranglehold on the country has led to alot of power being granted to Muslims.

If someone was to say to me that so and so emigrated from Lebanon, I would have assumed they were Christian. Or do people just think that if you come from the Middle East, you must be Muslim?

To my knowledge, yes he is Muslim

Although IMHO that should have nothing to do with the outcome, anyone who does this sort of deed should be jailed for life immediately.

Lucky he isnt in Saudi Arabia, they wouldve probably killed him

 

[Grendel]

Originally posted by Zombie


Playing the devils advocate for a second, if this guy had murdered his victims in order to dispose of the evidence what sort of sentence would he have received for the murder, 20 -30 years?

Is this sending the message to potential rapists out there that you might aswell completely get rid of their victims because not only a) do you have a possible chance that no one will ever know about it, but also b) if you do get caught it will give you a lighter sentence. Just a question.

I doubt he will spend 40 years in jail anyway, after all the BS appeals and reviews plus good behaviour, etc, etc he will probably only serve about 15 years in jail.

Didn't the scum that was the 'leader' (euphemistic phrase and not really befitting these cowards) of the Anita Cobby murder get a governors pleasure (i.e never to be released) sentencing?

If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime. You have a choice to respect the law or disrespect it. This filth has a long time now to reflect on the choice he made. Hopefully his co-conspirators receive appropriately harsh sentences as well.

 

[Zombie]

My point was that without the compelling statements of the victims, which you wouldn't have if he had killed them, would he have got 55 years? probably not.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Grendel


Didn't the scum that was the 'leader' (euphemistic phrase and not really befitting these cowards) of the Anita Cobby murder get a governors pleasure (i.e never to be released) sentencing?

I thought the whole 5 of that sewer life copped 'never to be released'.
I suggest to anyone who thinks that a 55 year sentence or a 'never to be released' is too harsh, go out and get yourself a copy of the book 'Someone else's daughter'. It's about the Anita Cobby murder. It will change your mind forever about how these low life should be treated. The jail sentence was too good for them!

 

[evade28]

yeah good its about time the legal system started punishing these b@stards like they deserve, hope his brother gets the same, who cares if hes a minor, hes not minor enough to keep his di(k in his pants.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Zombie
My point was that without the compelling statements of the victims, which you wouldn't have if he had killed them, would he have got 55 years? probably not.

Then we make murder to cover up a crime such as rape a death penalty offence. What's that you say, it's not a deterent? If they're worried about copping 55 years for rape, surely they'll be worried about losing their lives?

 

[Pessimistic]

Originally posted by localyokel





Yep my 'left wing' leanings are put on hold for someone like this as well. Good on the judge in this instance.

You give left wing a bad name here.

Left wing means to protect the weaker from the stronger when it is unjust. The only way is through the rule of law.

The only time the left wing complains about the rule of law is when it is unjustly used to impose the 'order' of a soceity where the weaker are routinely downtrodden.

It can be conflicting but if we do not deny our conscience in the form of the 'greater good' then its a start.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Originally posted by Pessimistic


You give left wing a bad name here.

Left wing means to protect the weaker from the stronger when it is unjust. The only way is through the rule of law.

The only time the left wing complains about the rule of law is when it is unjustly used to impose the 'order' of a soceity where the weaker are routinely downtrodden.

It can be conflicting but if we do not deny our conscience in the form of the 'greater good' then its a start.

Left wing is in inverted commas.


Although I have become a bit more radical as I have gotten older I dont really consider myself left wing, in fact when I was a member of the ALP I was a member of a right wing faction. Left wing refers to other peoples perceptions of my political views.




I agree with everything you say, the rule of law and the judicial system are the only hope for the down trodden in this country.

 

[Pessimistic]

Originally posted by localyokel





Left wing is in inverted commas.


Although I have become a bit more radical as I have gotten older I dont really consider myself left wing, in fact when I was a member of the ALP I was a member of a right wing faction. Left wing refers to other peoples perceptions of my political views.




I agree with everything you say, the rule of law and the judicial system are the only hope for the down trodden in this country.

And I'm with you, Comrade.

 

[bulldogs1]

As opposed to Fernwood's gymnasiums in good ol' Anglo-Saxon Melbourne, who decided they would bar men.

Yep, you're right. Racism is alive and well.

Originally posted by Diego
Racism is alive and well in Sydney towards Muslims and they keep digging a bigger hole for themselves.

I.E A gym that discriminates against all woman bar their own.

 

[Mead]

Given the complete and total commuity satisfaction with this sentence, the shiznit is really going to hit the fan if the sentence gets ripped on appeal.

Kudos to Justice (in the truest sense of the word) Michael Finnane for having the guts to sentence this bastard appropriately. 55 years, you SOB, and if you survive that, you know there'll be people waiting outside...

Anyway, on the racism side of things. The thing some of the completely out of touch acadamics seem to have missed is that it wasn't the media which made this a racial issue, it was the perpetrators- it wasn't just a group of people who happened to be of lebanese descent committing a rape, it was a definitively racial crime. Going after exclusively anglo girls, calling them 'aussie sluts', and saying that they were going to ***k them 'Leb style', are clear indicators that this was first and foremost a racial crime, with the perpetrators doing their best to overpower, humiliate and harm the victims, which to them just seemed to represent white australians in general. That sort of thing is absolute bull*****, we don't need those sort of disgusting acts in this country, and the racial conflict which would result. As such, it needed to be stamped down on, HARD.
Frankly, its hard to find the losers here. An absolute prick got a sentence he deserved but one which might save his life- release him tomorrow and see how long he lasts. Maybe, just maybe, 55 years will give him some time to do some serious thinking about what sort of an arsehole he is.
The victims get some sense of closure, and the freedom to live their life without fear.
The mainstream community is by and large satisfied and feels, for once, that justice has been done.
The Lebanese community can dissassociate itself from this sort of thing, and the severity of the sentence prevents revenge attacks and anymore racial tension.
So, we're all happy, except for a few pompous arsehole academics with their heads so far up their own butts they are licking their tonsils. Big loss.

 

[BMD]

Hand-wringers worrying that the community outrage was because of race or religion are so out of touch.

Community outrage was purely and simply about the actions that occurred. Community reaction would be no different if the offenders background was different.

As I understand the sentence he got 20, 20 and 15 years for the three counts. 20 years was the maximum penalty for rape at the time of the offences (since increased to 25).

So he got the maximum for 2 out of 3 of the offences. Who could possibly argue against him receiving the maximum? The crimes were the worst type of rape imaginable, he was the ringleader, he showed no remorse, he put forward no mitigating (could there be any? ) circumstances. The maximum was inevitable and a good thing too.

2 other offenders have already been sentenced to 18 years and 22 years respectively from memory. Neither of them were involved in all 3 offences. Well perhaps they were involved, but they haven't been charged with involvement in all 3.

There are still quite a few offenders waiting to be sentenced. Not feeling too ****y at the moment, I shouldn't think.

On a side issue, all 5 people involved in the Anita Cobby murder are never to be released. I read something recently saying there are something like 21 or 23 people with that status in NSW prisons.

I read this after a woman received this sentence for murdering an dthen skinning and dismembering her de facto. Somewhere in the Hunter Valley from memory - she worked in an abbatoir. Very gruesome story.

 

[dr nick]

Originally posted by BMD
2 other offenders have already been sentenced to 18 years and 22 years respectively

classic

 

[Destructive]

Originally posted by TigerCraig
Shoot'em and send the bill for the bullet to the family

- zero reoffender rate

Seriously, I hope the guards in the protective custody unit look the other way while Bubba and the boys bend this scum over and give him a taste of him own medicine.

I agree, 100%. They deserve everything they get.

 

[Destructive]

Originally posted by Bee
Apparently an appeal was lodged this afternoon over the severity of the sentence. All the 'bleeding hearts' and the civil libertarians are out in force complaining that the sentence is too harsh.
Why don't these people have any compassion for the victims?

There are too many namby-pamby civil libertarian groups out there. They should really shut the **** up. They are the main reason why our laws are so soft.

 

[dr nick]

from the SMH:

"A 19-year-old gang rapist with an IQ of 67 was jailed today for 25 years

Standing by her side, victim A doubted H's concern for her and rejected the judge's comment that her attacker suffered from a mental disability.
``He deserves every year he gets in jail and I hope he rots,'' she said.

``He wasn't *ed when he assaulted me ... I think that's crap.

Justice Finnane said H, the youngest of eight children of a Lebanese family, had an IQ of 67.

"(This) puts him in the lowest one per cent of the population," Judge Finnane said.

He recommended the man, who was 17 at the time of the attacks in August 2000, continue to be held in the juvenile justice system until his 21st birthday.

The man should then be moved to facilities outside the juvenile system for developmentally delayed inmates, Judge Finnane said.

He said H would be eligible for parole as early as October 15, 2015.

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i dont think having a low iq should have any effect on the severity of the sentence. does it make this guy any less of a threat in the community? as the victim says, he didnt show any signs of having mental disabilities as he was beating her senseless whilst him and his mates raped her.