Death for SARS spreaders

[pabs]

Taken from CNN.com

Death for SARS spreaders: China
Thursday, May 15, 2003 Posted: 9:39 AM EDT (1339 GMT)

BEIJING, China -- China has threatened to execute or jail for life anyone who deliberately spreads the killer SARS virus.

The news came as officials in Taiwan announced the biggest one-day jump in SARS cases on the island amid a raft of hospital infections.

China issued a harsh interpretation of its laws on contagious disease after reports people were violating quarantine orders or refusing to admit to the symptoms.

The Supreme Court warning Thursday said people who violate quarantines and spread the virus can be imprisoned for up to seven years, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.

Those who cause death or serious injury by "deliberately spreading" the virus can be sentenced to prison terms of 10 years to life or might be executed.

China recorded four SARS deaths on Thursday, pushing its death toll to 271, and 52 new cases. It has about two-thirds of the world's 7,700 known SARS cases.

Human rights groups said the punishment, laid down by the Supreme Court and the chief prosecutor, was not approved by China's parliament and violated human rights convenants.

"The measure is too extreme and the punishment too heavy," Hong Kong-based rights activist Frank Lu told Reuters by telephone.

Chinese officials have acknowledged health controls might not be sufficient to contain the epidemic.

Despite a government pledge to be more open with information, Chinese censors blocked the airing of a CNN International interview that criticized the government's handling of SARS. (Full story)

Meanwhile, Taiwan reported 26 new SARS cases and three more deaths on Thursday. (SARS shuts emergency room)

Taiwan, with only a few cases of SARS until late April, now has 264 confirmed cases and 34 deaths -- the worst in the world after mainland China and Hong Kong.

Authorities quarantined about 400 people at two major hospitals -- one in Taipei and another in the southern city of Kaohsiung -- after scores of people in them began showing symptoms.

A third hospital, the Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, reported a probable outbreak after seven doctors and nurses developed SARS-like symptoms.

But there was good news for Canada and Singapore. The WHO said it had taken Canada off its list of areas where SARS was spreading. (SARS no longer spreading)

Canada, with 24 SARS deaths, is the only country outside Asia where people have died, all of them in the area around the financial capital Toronto.

The WHO also welcomed Singapore's move to isolate sick nurses and patients at the city state's largest mental hospital, but said other illnesses might be responsible.

WTF?!?!?!

[Danny Boy]

The WHO also welcomed Singapore's move to isolate sick nurses and patients at the city state's largest mental hospital, but said other illnesses might be responsible.

I am amazes that Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are that concerned about the well-being of the Singapore people???

[Wycco]

Lifetime imprisonment (or death) for deliberately spreading SARS...

Well - deliberately spreading SARS can be equated to attempted murder... The punnishment should be no more severe and no less severe then any other attempted murder case.

Deliberate is the key word here.



Now regarding jumping quarantine- if their motive was selfishness rather than malice, the sentence should be severe, but not as severe. It should be equated with whatever China's policy on "reckless use of a potentially deadly weapon" is.

ie: if someone drove fast down a pedestrian only street. Or if someone fired a gun into a crowd... whatever the punnishment for those crimes is- THAT should be the punnishment for jumping quarantine.

(They should also be charged with the crime of evading the police)

[pabs]

But death??

Even I think that's a little too extreme and I support the death penalty.

[Wycco]

Well- I agree... Death is a bit harsh...

But... it depends on what they've done.

By definition "Deliberate" is when someone purposely gives someone else the disease (this to me is more severe than dodging quarantine!)

If someone PURPOSELY gives someone else the disease- that is (at very least) assault with a deadly weapon.

Look at it this way: If someone sent you an anthrax laced letter- THAT would be deliberately spreading Anthrax- a result of which could be death...

Sending Anthrax in the mail, almost everyone would agree would be attempted murder- and SHOULD be prosecuted as attempted murder.


If someone deliberately passed SARS on to someone else- THAT TOO is attempted murder... WORSE than passing Anthrax even because it threatens not just who you passed the disease to- but anyone that person gets in contact with. It is, in effect- attempted mass murder.


Really it all depends on how China intends to use these laws. If they say all quarantine dodgers are "deliberately trying to give others SARS"- thats just nuts and unjustified- certainly not deserving of the death penalty...

- but someone DELIBERATELY passing on a potentially deadly disease- how is that any different to deliberately passing on Anthrax?



Incidentally- HIV+ individuals have been tried in the US for attempted murder for sleeping with someone without protection (and not telling the other person they were HIV+).


Anyone who DELIBERATELY gives someone an un-solicited illness is guilty of (at very least) assault in my books.

[pabs]

Point taken Wyc, but even then, assault with a deadly weapon (which is what Deliberate SARS spreading would be) does not amount to attempted murder. And at least in the US, none of those charges get the death penalty.

I agree they should get whatever Chinese law says on those cases, but death? In the absolute scheme of things (not US, not China), that's a bit too harsh.

[Wycco]

I'm certainly not a lawyer:

But I imagine it could be argued as "Assault with a deadly weapon" rather than "attempted murder"...

I guess it all depends on intent! (which is hard to proove either way).

The punnishment for attempted murder is less than murder? I didn't realise that... I guess sometimes people are rewarded for being a failiure...

[pabs]

Well, as far as I know, nobody's been executed recently for trying to kill someone. They may have gotten a stiff jail sentence, but not the death penalty....but I'm operating from memory and I am likely to be wrong.