francene--blog. Year 2013
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June 8th

6/8/2013

 
Picturewww.boliviabella.com
Imagine being buried alive. This happened to a young man suspected of rape. Without a trial, he was covered with soil while alive by villagers in the southern highlands of Bolivia.

Police had identified the 17-year-old as the possible culprit in the rape and murder of a 35-year-old woman near the municipality of Colquechaca.

The chief prosecutor reports that more than 200 furious local people seized the man and buried him in the grave of his alleged victim. Residents blocked roads into the village to stop police arriving.

Apparently, a reporter for a local radio station would only speak anonymously for fear of reprisals. He told the media that mourners tied up the accused man and threw him into the open grave alongside the woman's coffin before covering them both with earth.


Picturem.theglobeandmail.com
About 5,000 inhabitants live in the town of Colquechaca, some 207 miles ( 333 km) south-east of the Bolivian capital, La Paz.

Correspondents say lynchings sometimes happen in isolated, poorer parts of Bolivia, where police and other authorities are scarce.

Prior to European colonization, the Andean region of Bolivia was a part of the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The conquistadors took control of the region in the 16th century. During most of the Spanish colonial period, this territory was known as Upper Peru. An indigenous people of Bolivia, Peru and Chile, the Aymara have lived in the Andes for over 2000 years.


Picturecoca farmers - www.nadir.org
They now tend coca plantations. The coca leaf, used to make cocaine, is classified as an illegal drug by international bodies.

According to Wikipedia, the Bolivian population, estimated at 10 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. The main language spoken is Spanish, although the Guarani, Aymara and Quechua languages are also common and all four, as well as 34 other indigenous languages, are official. The large number of different cultures within Bolivia has contributed greatly to a wide diversity in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

I've always been fascinated by the hunting music of the pan pipes. In my first book, Still Rock Water, the 16-year-old daughter tries to learn to play the pipes.

The video below is well worth listening to against the backdrop of Bolivia.


By their action, the people living in the tiny municipality of Colquechaca showed their belief in rough justice. Who is to say if their method of preventing future crime is right or wrong? Each one of the mourners would have understood the accused man's suffering and learned a vital lesson. Crime against women is punishable by death. This might not be our way—but it's theirs.

In Western society, a judge and jury must have irrefutable proof of a man's guilt. A man convicted of rape is liable to imprisonment for life or for any shorter term. Sometimes, he will be pampered in jail for a few months before he's released to prey on women again.

Amy link
6/7/2013 10:29:46 pm

Francene,
Yikes--my first thought at this story was "but what if the poor sap was innocent?" I can see the obvious advantages to this "Cowboy Justice" compared to the long drawn-out court battles and imprisonments of our "civilized" society (while the taxpayers foot the bill) and I'm sure this tradition would be a great deterrant to misbehavior. But the occasional conviction of an innocent party would be a terrifying thing.

Francene Stanley link
6/8/2013 03:33:03 am

That was my first thought too. So many times, the innocent are convicted.

Courtney link
6/8/2013 03:29:04 am

It is always so fascinating to me to see how other cultures deal with different things, like justice.

Francene Stanley link
6/8/2013 03:34:15 am

The world is a fasinating place and cultures are all different in the way they handle things.

sarvin sidhu link
6/8/2013 03:52:47 am

I didn't know about this.. thanks for sharing! :)

Ambitious Curls link
6/8/2013 04:09:35 am

It's definitely interesting to see how the world deals with different things. As much as I don't like the treatment of our rape victims by the law enforcement and court systems, I can't help but think that everyone deserves a fair shot. Innocent until proven guilty. We just need to be more empathetic to the victims and their families

Francene Stanley link
6/8/2013 07:44:12 pm

Victims wo survive suffer for the whole of their lives.I agree that his shocking crime needs so much more care for them and their families.

Suerae Stein link
6/8/2013 08:04:59 am

My first thought was about the lack of proof that he was guilty. How insanely horrible that would be for him and his family. My second thought was that it's nice to see that some cultures are actually outraged by this kind of violence against women. I'm tired of men getting away with detestable violence against women and children. This was a very interesting post, Francene.

Francene Stanley link
6/8/2013 07:45:48 pm

As you so rightly point out, Lady Justice must balance the scales. I'm glad I'm not in charge.

Wendy Bottrell link
6/9/2013 08:38:04 am

Because we hear of so many cases of rapists getting off this kind of justice doesn't upset me and I do struggle with the whole eye for an eye kind of justice. Very interesting and appreciate that you have made me think about this here. Thanks. Wendy


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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