Lack of consistency - there's the problem
So here we are one day after the GT reported that a national idiot had been fined QR30k and had his licence suspended for killing a 60+ year old pedestrian whilst driving his vehicle around a bend in excess of 80kph.
Today we have this from the same paper and reporter;
Motorist fined QR2,000 for reckless driving
By Nour Abuzant
An Egyptian motorist has been sentenced to a suspended month’s imprisonment for reckless driving and knocking down a seven-year-old compatriot boy on a busy street some two years ago.
The Doha court of first instance also imposed a QR2,000-fine on him. The judges also ordered the convict to pay, jointly with the insurance company, a sum of QR6,000 as compensation to the family of the boy.
The accident took place on May 1, 2009 in Kahraba Street, Musheireb.
According to the traffic report, the boy was crossing the road near his father’s house when a car, driven by the accused, hit him. The boy sustained injuries estimated at 3%, according to medical report
The motorist said in the courtroom that as he overtook a parked bus from the left and “a boy suddenly appeared and hit the front right side of my car and I called the ambulance.”
He denied recklessness saying that he was driving at 20kmph, but the court did not agree with the accused saying that such a speed was enough to stop and to avoid hitting any pedestrian.
The judges explained the conviction: “The street where the accident occurred is traditionally very busy and the locality is well known in Doha with a lot of shops and pedestrians. The accused was supposed to expect any surprise including a running boy.”
The court agreed with the accused that “the boy was responsible in the occurrence of the accident but that did not exempt the motorist from the responsibility as well.”
Now where the hell is the consistency and deterrent in the application of what is loosley termed "the law" here - kill a guy whilst driving in excess of 80kph, get off releatively scot free - knock down a kid whilst doing 20kph and you get a jail sentence albeit suspended.
What the hell is going on in the courts in this country??
@ Brit - thanks. As the Arabic world is far from being alone in the "Money talks" to avoid the strong arm of the law, I think enuf said!
I don't know the law in Qatar, but in Saudi , If the family accepts blood money , then they are absolving him of the sentencing.
So in this case, the driver should somehow pay "bruising" money to the boy's family, to get acquitted of the suspended jail sentence?!
The kid's family was given compensation also according to the report - the point I am striving to make which I hope isnt being lost here is that in one case a low speed knock down a custodial sentence was awarded and in the other - a high speed homocide - there was no custodial sentence because of the compelling argument about the killer's age........ go figure!!
I believe that in the first case, the victim's family was paid blood money.
... and yet oddly and the subject of this thread, the sentences did NOT match the crimes - ergo, "Lack of consistency"
Youre right - one victim was killed, the other got 3%......
In the case of the murder, the accused claimed that the pedestrian jumped out at him from no where. This can be a big problem here with pedestrians randomly throwing themselves in front of vehicles just to annoy drivers. Just think of the dents they caused to the man's Land Cruiser! I am surprised they did not fine the pedestrian's family.
"The accused was supposed to expect any surprise including a running boy.”
This only shows that the judge understood the laws of traffic. However, there seem to be differences based on nationality, age, and gender.
Consistency = zero!
"Welcome to Qatar"
Regards!!
Expect Amazing