The gang of five robbers armed with pistols, machetes and other traditional weapons had just robbed a businessman at the village.Mob justice is a social and public health problem that has grown in Tanzania in recent decades that has negative effects on social and health of the country, communities, and families.
Mob justice actually is the practice whereby a mob, usually several dozens or several hundred persons take the law into their hands in order to injure and kill a person accused of wrongdoing.
The issue of the victim's quality is usually secondary, since the mob serves as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner. Mob justice has been practiced in many societies in the world.
In America for instance, in the 1800's blacks were lynched as a punishment after committing acts considered as crime by the white population. In a report by the United Nations peace mission in Guatemala said 185 people were killed by mobs between 1996 and 2000, and 450 people suffered serious injuries in lynching attempts.
Although Mob justice has existed in Tanzania for the past few decades, the magnitude and the factors associated with have not been studied. The present study has tried to address these issues.
In Tanzania, ten years ago a four-year autopsy study was conducted at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS)- Department of Pathology. Information on the cases was obtained from police, the relatives, friends and other witnesses if available.According to the study 1249 persons were killed by mobs in Dar es Salaam during the period of 5 years (2000–2004).
The alleged offense ranged from a serious crime like theft or murder to a mere violation of local customs or religious beliefs. The mode of the killings were mostly burning (48.11 per cent) and stoning (49.96 per cent). Other modes accounted for only 3.0 per cent of the cases. The pattern of injuries ranged from skull and other skeletal fractures to viscera rupture.
Mob justice is a social, legal and public health problem in Tanzania that needs immediate attention. Unemployment of youth and perceived economic inequalities should be addressed.
As long as the judicial system work tirelessly punish the perpetrators of the vice otherwise people will continue to organize their own trials and judge their suspects in the street. These must be tackled in order to reduce the growing incidences of mob justice, hence saving life.
It must be ensured that criminals do not violate the freedom, dignity and respect of each and every human or member of the society.
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