There’s an interesting article on the BBC about the huge campaigning effort going into the Kercher murder trial in Perugia. American supporters of the accused, Amanda Knox, have been running a vitriolic campaign against both the Italian prosecutor and the Italian justice system.
I wonder whether there’s any research on the ‘foreign justice’ phenomenon – the idea that no foreign justice system can possibly be done right, and that every one of a country’s citizens tried abroad is clearly innocent. It’s one of the purest elements of anti-foreigner prejudice that the mainstream media indulge in.
It can’t (just) be the absence of a sympathetic victim – after all, the victim in Perugia was a young foreign student, too. It also can’t be entirely culturally or legally based – look at the support for hacker Gary McKinnon, who is going to be extradited to a common-law jurisdiction with strong ties to Britain.
Perhaps it’s the flipside of the structure of faith that we build around our own legal systems. The justice system is widely trusted – by 63% of Europeans according to Eurobarometer – and perhaps part of that trust involves a belief that things are worse in other countries.
perhaps its because the italian legal system is seriously flawed. as the italians say its “weak on the tough and tough on the weak”. its corrupt, with bribes allegedly passing hands in the case of berlusconi one example. they let mafi guys out becaus e the judhes “forget” to sign acts.
recently 2 romenian men pleaded guilty to a crime they were then absolved of due to dna evidence… what made them say they did soemthing they didnt??!!
if you get arrested you can be kept in prison for 3 months before you are even charged. 3 MONTHS!!
during manipuli people who were suspected of wrong doings SUSPECTED!!!, were inprisoned in the worst prisons possible to get them to confess.
people comit crimes abroad surely but try to avoid doing it in italy.
“the idea that no foreign justice system can possibly be done right, and that every one of a country’s citizens tried abroad is clearly innocent.”
Wow, I’m not even going to try and start on this rubbish. I don’t think anyone feels this way. Do you really think that criticizing one country’s foreign justice system is equivalent to gross xenophobia?
perhaps its because the italian legal system is seriously flawed. as the italians say its “weak on the tough and tough on the weak”. its corrupt, with bribes allegedly passing hands in the case of berlusconi one example. they let mafi guys out becaus e the judhes “forget” to sign acts.
recently 2 romenian men pleaded guilty to a crime they were then absolved of due to dna evidence… what made them say they did soemthing they didnt??!!
if you get arrested you can be kept in prison for 3 months before you are even charged. 3 MONTHS!!
during manipuli people who were suspected of wrong doings SUSPECTED!!!, were inprisoned in the worst prisons possible to get them to confess.
people comit crimes abroad surely but try to avoid doing it in italy.