to think they shouldn't send you to prison for taking a picture of a corpse

[pisacake]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4611862/Man-jailed-posting-Grenfell-Tower-victim-picture.html

Apparently Mr. Mwaikambo, who is of Tanzanian origin or extraction, opened a body bag at the Grenfell Tower and posted the picture on Facebook.

I'm not sure about Tanzania, but I am in Indonesia and it's very common to post selfies with dead (i.e. in the moments after they die) relatives etc. on Facebook. There was a case earlier this year where a Western man died and the local newspaper published multiple shots of him dead, dressed only in his underpants with blood coming out of his nose etc. Those photos remain online.

Obviously this is not the done thing in England, but it seems that someone they have come up with a fairly arbitrary charge (sending obscene materials over the internet) - there's no law against what he did, per se - and whacked a rather stiff sentence on him.

I'm not saying he was right to do it, but it seems that there is an excessive sentence for someone who broadcast to a fairly limited number of people (he has a couple of hundred friends on Facebook), something which inherently is more about outrage at the fire than the fact of what he did.

The law used is obscenity, but the photos are no more obscene than going to Tanzania/other parts of Africa and taking pictures of dead Africans to be broadcast on the news, or photos of the deceased Gaddafi (widely distributed in Western media) or whatever. The obscenity is the fire, but Mr. Mwaikambo is in no way responsible for that.

Prison is not an appropriate sentence for this in my opinion. I would prefer to see community service and a fine. Prisons are already overcrowded and imprisoning this man places yet more pressure on over stretched public finances.

The fact he has been dealt with so quickly shows how serious this is. It could also be deemed as interfering with evidence or a crime scene.

YABVU. It's a terrible, disrespectful thing he did.

As others have said, what if a member of the deceased's family saw it? How distressing would it be for them?

With seemingly no connection to the deceased person, it seems like an exercise in attention seeking. Shame on him.

Good call Judge, bit more wouldnt be bad. My cultural norm is to get hammered on a weekend . If I did that in a strict Muslim country id expect some jail time

I am in Indonesia and it's very common to post selfies with dead (i.e. in the moments after they die) relatives etc.
That's a bit different. You know the person / they knew you. Its the done thing. Completely different. If this character isn't dealt with swiftly, this will become a habit. It is already a habit with people taking pictures at car crashes and the such like.

'sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character'

I haven't seen the details of the case and I've only flicked through the thread but surely this man's actions were grossly offensive.

To be guilty of the offence the communication doesn't have to be grossly offensive AND indecent AND obscene AND menacing, the communication has to be grossly offensive or indecent or obscene or menacing. Opening a body bag, photographing the poor soul inside and distributing the image was grossly offensive, the definition of the crime was fulfilled. The indecent, obscene, menacing elements did not need to proved, they are irrelevant elements in this case.

Vile thing to do and I hope he gets a hard time in the nick, the bastard.

I can't believe you are sticking up for this man. What he did was so very disrespectful. What happens in other countries is irrelevant.

One of my best friends is of Tanzanian origin. He wouldn't dream of doing something like that so culture has nothing to do with it. It's absolutely disgusting and he deserves to go to prison.

Also there's no way to guarantee the images are 'gone' - they may not be available right now but they could exist on a hard drive somewhere having been archived or screen grabbed and have the potential to reemerge outside of this individuals control.

I think the swift and decisive action by the judiciary, was excellent . It will no doubt act as a deterrent to anyone else thinking of following suit.

Sorry, I just saw this thread, but I'm incredulous. He opened a body bag of a person, of a person he didn't even know, and took a picture to post on social media?! That's horrifying. I think he belongs in jail.

What does it matter how people deal with death in other countries? The deceased wasn't a relative so it's irrelevant. He's simply a sick bastard.

Actually, I think your title is hugely disrespectful. He didn't take a picture of "a corpse". He took a picture of someones's loved one, their spouse, their child, their parent, someone who had died in tragic circumstances, someone whose nearest and dearest almost certainly didn't know was dead. And shared it on the internet.

They caught this man, sentenced him, now he's in prison, within a couple of days! Makes you wonder why other things don't move along so fast

That would depend on which "other things" you mean. If you're referring to whoever's responsible for the tragedy I'd hope you can understand that this may take a fair bit of sorting out ... whereas the person who's been jailed was clearly the one to blame and actually admitted it

Unless you're seriously suggesting that corners are cut in the prosecution as well as (seemingly) in the building ... ?

Harsh as I'm going to sound surely he wasn't only taking a photo but by unzipping a body bag he was contaminating evidence and messing with what is now a criminal investigation and definitely a coroners investigation. It was wrong immoral and if I'm honest cruel those who love that person. He had no business taking a selfie with a victim of the fire

Posting an unknown person online must have caused such pain to family and friends of the person who lost their life.

It was a horrible thing to do, no doubt about it.

But I doubt those responsible for converting Grenfell Tower into a deathtrap will ever see the inside of a prison cell.

The uk media have no issues with publishing pictures of dead people.

I do think tampering with a corpse deserves a sentence. Who the fuck does he think he is? It's not his family, why does it matter if some people would take 'selfies' with a corpse (surely one they know anyway?)

Forgive me if I'm wrong but when I originally saw this story a few days ago i'm sure it stated that he had posted a picture of the individual asking if anyone could identify them because the bag had been left outside his front door for hours which he felt was disrespectful.

Now, I wouldn't go opening body bags BUT is it possible he did it (albeit in a crass manner) out of frustration in a bid to draw attention to bodies being laid around and because many neighbours who may have been on his FB were desperately seeking family/friends?

Some countries traditional marry off there 11 year old children and I don't think we should make exceptions for some traditions

From wikipedia: Female genital mutilation Type I and IV is prevalent in Indonesia; 97.5% of the surveyed females from Muslim families (Muslim females are at least 85% of females in Indonesia) are mutilated by age 18.

Just because it's the done thing in Indonesia, doesn't make it right.

OP in some countries it isnt illegal for a man to rape his wife. Should that man cone to England and rape his wife, ought he to be excused in accordance with the laws of his native country? No. Didnt think so.

He did a despicable thing.

At "best" it was hugely disrespectful and an act likely to cause widespread hurt , shock and revulsion, not least for the family and friends should they see the images. At worst he hoped to gain notoriety and financially from it. Cultural acceptance of death is just not relevant.

Whatever his reason, it was the wrong course of action and it is right that he is punished.

I doubt he will actually serve 3 months.

Do not be so disrespectful.
The body was someone's son/daughter father/mother. How would you like your relatives body to.be put on facebrag ??