Conspiracy theorists speak of a staged killing spree
It's been almost ten years since the school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the US state of Connecticut: in December 2012, a 20-year-old shot 20 children and 6 teachers at the school .
The right-wing US radio host Alex Jones has claimed for years that the school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 26 dead was staged. This has catastrophic consequences for those left behind. They should now be compensated.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones spread crude falsehoods and claimed that the rampage was only staged by actors. According to him, the whole thing was part of a government conspiracy to take away Americans' guns. As Der Standard reports, Jones spoke in a live broadcast during the reading of the verdict about appealing: “ We are fighting Goliath.” His lawyer has not yet commented.
The moderator's lies resonated in right-wing extremist circles and led to great suffering among the victims' relatives, who were endangered by conspiracy theorists.
Relatives threatened and harassed
During the trial, lawsuits were filed by the relatives of 5 children and 3 teachers. The victims' parents and siblings testified, often in tears, that they had been threatened and harassed for years. This included insulting comments on social media, but also strangers filming relatives and showing up at their home. An FBI agent who responded to the shooting was also among the plaintiffs. The harassment came from people who believed the lies on Jones' television show.
The amount of 965 million euros results from the sum of the damage payments to a total of 15 plaintiffs. The sum was confirmed by a court in the state of Connecticut on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, as US media consistently reported from the courtroom in Waterbury. In August, a Texas jury awarded the parents of another child who was killed a total of almost $50 million.
Large sums of money to prevent crimes?
Compensation is intended to compensate those affected and to compensate for the injustice suffered. However, the huge sums that are often sued in the United States are not common in Europe. Private individuals who have to pay billions in fines are often financially ruined. Therefore, the actual goal, the resocialization of the perpetrators, is prevented by the high punishment. In addition, numerous studies show that stricter punishments hardly reduce crime rates.
A significant example of this is the death penalty in the USA: no scientific study has yet been able to prove its supposed deterrent effect. The goal of preventing crimes is much more likely to be achieved using methods outside of criminal law : through good education and a reliable social network. Europe and especially the Scandinavian countries are setting a good example. Incidentally, good education is also the best remedy against conspiracy theories: it immunizes you against easily transparent lies, like those from Alex Jones.
Sources: futurezone , The Standard
Also read: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones convicted
Author: Nick L.
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