Families can help tackle mob justice

Recently, Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga asked Malawians to desist from mob justice, which is on the rise in Malawi. Cases are rife of Malawians taking justice into their own hands, disregarding courts’ role. Suspected murderers, witches, thieves and violators of village customs have all faced mob justice.

For example, a man in Mwanza was killed by a mob on suspicion of murdering two chldren whose bodies were found decomposed. In Neno, a mob murdered an elderly woman on suspicion of witchcraft. In Mzuzu City, irate residents tied a woman to a tree at a graveyard for attending to her roadside business while a funeral was underway nearby.

The police chief, like all well-meaning Malawians, strongly condemns mob justice because it creates serious social, legal and moral problems. Instead of delivering true justice, it often results in injustice, loss of life and a weakened rule of law. One of the most serious risks of mob justice is mistaken identity where innocent people can be wrongly accused and punished.

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In Malawi, there have been cases where individuals were killed simply because they were mistaken for criminals. Since mobs act on suspicion, rumours or emotions rather than evidence, there is no proper investigation. This makes it highly likely that innocent people may suffer life-threatening consequences.

Besides, accomplices to crimes may not be identified. When a suspect is killed by a mob, authorities lose the opportunity to question them and identify other suspects in the crime. Other criminals may escape justice entirely, allowing criminal activities to continue.

Additionally, mob justice makes it difficult to recover stolen property. It disrupts the proper legal procedures that allow law enforcement officers to question suspects and trace stolen goods. When suspects are attacked or killed, valuable evidence is lost, making it impossible to recover stolen items or return them to their rightful owners.

Consequently, victims may never regain their property, even after the suspect has been punished. Mob justice also violates the right to a fair trial. In a lawful system, every suspect has the right to defend themselves in court and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

However, mob justice denies suspects any opportunity to explain their side of the story or present evidence. It is therefore a clear violation of human rights and the rule of law. The laws and regulations of Malawi emphasise that only the courts and the police should handle criminal cases, not angry crowds.

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