Rosie Gilderthorp
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| Justice is blind. Isn't it? Photo: Tim Green |
Recently a
serving soldier, Lee Rigby, was murdered in Woolwich. The general public, willingly or not, became voyeurs,
witness to the murder in a way still unfamiliar even in the world of camera
phones and 24 hour news. With dramatic footage available, the media coverage
was extensive. In particular, there was a strong focus on the grief of the
family and the contribution he had made to the armed forces. Watching this
story unfold I had the feeling that something very particular was happening in
the way we were asked to view this murder. It’s something that happens from
time to time with high-profile crimes. Something about Lee Rigby had made us
take this one personally.
There has been
considerable focus on the fact that Lee Rigby was a ‘war hero’ and a ‘family
man’. I can’t help but wonder why it was inherently worse in the eyes of the
nation that he was a soldier rather than a say, plasterer or a cleaner or someone
who was unemployed? Would he have seemed a more palatable choice of victim if
he had been single? What about if he was
involved in crime or violence? By this I mean the kind of violence not
sanctioned by governments rather than the kind that gets you on the wrong side
of the law. Having spent a fair time working in the criminal justice system I have
been appalled by the number of horrific murders that are committed against
young men and women within the context of ‘gang warfare’. These victims attract
very little media coverage. It is as though the ‘gang’ label acts as a shield
against public sympathy while the label of ‘soldier’ or ‘police officer’ ensures
entry into the public consciousness. This is not purely a media issue. Recently,
speaking to the Police Federation, Theresa May announced
plans to alter legislation so that ‘life means life’ for those convicted of
murdering a police officer. This implies justice means different things to us
depending on the professional status of the victim. I can’t quite reconcile
this with my understanding of the United Kingdom as a country in which all subjects
are equal. I value the lives of the
police highly but no more highly than I value the life of anyone else.
