If You Talk Someone Into Commiting Suicide...

[Placebo]

how does that make you guilty of attempted murder? Or, "solicitation to commit murder"? :shrug:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=3&u=/ap/20050211/ap_on_re_us/mass_suicide_pact

[ogradda]

1. yuck!

i don't know if it's illegal or not but it's neither nice or moral!

[AlCzervik]

2. i don't know, don't they have freewill?

[karynnj]

6. Immoral

They have free will, but if they are in a state of mind that they are considering suicide, their vulnerability should place a moral burden on others to at least not push them off the cliff and more productively to get them help.

[Fridays Child]

10. His behavior was dangerously predatory.

You can talk people in great physical pain into killing themselves, if they believe there is no other way to end their pain. The same thing applies to those in deep psychological pain.

This guy is not only a potential killer, he's an utter coward, luring the most vulnerable among to become his victims.

[Psephos]

3. If he's not guilty of murder solicitation, then what is he guilty of? n/t

[Swede]

4. You are obviously abusing a vulnerable person.

Whether through mental health,substance abuse or life cirumstance there are vulnerable people. You are responsible for causing there death.

[Pithlet]

5. I agree.

At the very least, if the person talked into killing themselves does it, there should be a manslaughter charge.

[Warpy]

11. Only as a conspirator.

After all, approaching healthy people won't do the trick. The "victim" has to be a willing one, and suicide isn't always for the reasons you listed.

Should this creep be stopped? Oh, definitely. However, until we get serious about treating things like mental illness and chronic pain, there will always be people who consider suicide, whether or not they run into email predators.

[Mojambo]

12. Wouldn't you have to show proof that the person knew

that the person was vulnerable?

[HuckleB]

13. Vulnerable indeed. Big responsibility resides with the suicide promoter.

Why? The Neuroscience of Suicide:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0006AF90-5BC7-1E1B-8B3B809EC588EEDF

The Neurobiology of Suicide and Suicidality:
http://www.cpa-apc.org/Publications/Archives/CJP/2003/june/heeringen.asp

Biology of Suicide:
http://www.npr.org/programs/death/980429.death.html

The Neurobiology of Depression:
http://www.lib.calpoly.edu/infocomp/modules/05_evaluate/WIC2b.html


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This will be an interesting case to follow. One wonders if this will lead to some repurcussions for Internet Sites that promote anorexia and "dying via emaciation" as a lifestyle.

[CindyDale]

7. Well, Manson doesn't think he's guilty

because he didn't kill anyone. If you solicit others to commit a crime, though, you are guilty.

In fact, my dad used to say that solicitation was worse because you're making someone else commit a crime, ruining their life.

Some people who actually would never do these things are easily led by others. It's sad. Someone who has the power to lead others, though, has to use it responsibly, or he/she is a danger to all of us.

[HEyHEY]

8. If you talk someone into robbing a store - you're an accomplice

Same Principle I suppose.

[brainshrub]

9. Well the guy tried to get a mom to kill her kids... so yeah.

But all the other adults... I don't see a problem with them all killing themselves online.

Some people will do anything to get a Darwin Award.

[Historic NY]

14. Its called promoting a suicide attempt.....you induce another to kill

themselves or attempt to do so...NY penal law.