Happy slapping explained

Happy slapping was a fad originating in the United Kingdom around 2005, in which one or more people attack a victim for the purpose of recording the assault (commonly with a camera phone or a smartphone). Though the term usually refers to relatively minor acts of violence such as hitting or slapping the victim, more serious crimes such as the murder of a retired care worker,[1] and sexual assault were also occasionally classified as "happy slapping" by the BBC.[2]

Use with video technology

The general availability and affordability of mobile phones with integrated video cameras for the first time in the mid 2000s, in addition to their ease of use, meant that, compared to in previous decades, little if any planning was required to carry out and film such an attack. Similarly, the end product was more easily watched and circulated for entertainment than ever before, spreading through informal networks of person to person sharing. Contemporary media commentators suggested that the craze was inspired by such television shows as Jackass, Dirty Sanchez and Bumfights.[3] [4] [5]

History

"Happy slapping" started in the south London Borough of Lewisham,[6] [7] in a format known as "Slap Happy TV", where a happy-slapping video would be recorded, and then watched by dozens of people like a TV show, but in the form of a montage. Videos of Happy Slapping were commonly circulated via Bluetooth on mobile phones. The first newspaper article to use the phrase "happy slapping" was "Bullies film fights by phone", published in The Times Educational Supplement on 21 January 2005, in which reporter Michael Shaw described teachers' accounts of the craze in London schools.

Gary Martin, writing on "The Phrase Finder" website described the phenomenon as: "Unprovoked attacks on individuals made in order to record the event, and especially the victim's shock and surprise, on video phones."[8]

Martin wrote that happy slapping "began as a youth craze in the UK in late 2004. Children or passers by are slapped or otherwise mugged by one or more of a gang while others record the event on video and then distribute it by phone or Internet. Initially the attacks were, as the phrase would have us believe, fairly minor pranks ... As the craze spread the attacks became more vicious—often serious assaults known in legal circles as grievous bodily harm."[8]

Legal consequences

Denmark

When the international media attention surrounding attacks abroad reached a high point, a girl was sentenced to eight months in prison.[9] She was sentenced on a number of counts including previous crimes.

A common punishment in 2007 was a fine or up to 40 days in prison, suspended if the attacker has no previous record.[10] [11] The attacker shall be liable to a fine or imprisonment for any term which does not exceed 3 years.[12] Happy slapping is judged as "simple battery" as defined by section 244 of the Danish Criminal Code.[12]

France

In February 2007, an amendment aimed at criminalising "happy slapping" was added to a law "on the prevention of delinquency" by the Parliament of France based on a proposal from then Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.[13] [14] The anti-happy-slapping clause appears as the last part of Article 44, which also deals with ambushing law enforcement personnel. The law equates filming or photographing certain classes of violent crimes, including severe beatings and rape, with being an accomplice of such crimes. The law makes it illegal to broadcast the images of such crimes, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and/or a €75,000 fine.

The law does not apply to those who took the above actions in order to obtain evidence in court, or as professional journalism. Professional journalism is delimited in France by the "press card", which is awarded by a commission representing journalist unions and press organisations.[15] As defined by law,[16] a professional journalist is one whose main activity is professional paid journalism.

The bill was signed into law on 5 March 2007, despite some organisations, including Reporters Without Borders,[17] and the French chapter of Wikimedia,[18] arguing that this clause created a legal discrimination in criminal law between professional journalists and ordinary citizens practising journalism. Specifically, it was argued that citizens filming incidents of police brutality and publishing such information online could be intimidated by law enforcement into remaining silent, or prosecuted for their actions. This criticism was relayed by the international media.[19]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared to Reporters Without Borders that "the spirit of the law is not to infringe [on] freedom of information. However, if the least doubt subsist[s], then I'm in favour of a clarification of the law."[20] [21]

United Kingdom

In March 2008, a teenage girl who filmed the fatal beating of a man on her mobile phone was sentenced to two years' detention in the first prosecution of its kind in the United Kingdom. The judge stated that the courts had to make an example of such youths. She had pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court in February 2008 to aiding and abetting the murder of Gavin Waterhouse, 29, from Keighley, West Yorkshire. Mark Masters, 19, from Keighley, and Sean Thompson, 17, from Bradford, were sentenced to seven and six years, respectively, after admitting to murder. Waterhouse died from a ruptured spleen after being beaten in September 2007.[22] [23] [24]

Just before the attack, the girl was handed a mobile phone by one of the attackers and told to "video this", prosecutors said. She approached Waterhouse, asked for money, and recorded the subsequent attack. She was sentenced to serve a two-year detention training order. Police said they were satisfied with the court's decision. The Crown Prosecutor said "this is the first time a suspect in England and Wales has been successfully prosecuted for aiding and abetting murder or manslaughter, for the filming of an inaptly called 'happy slapping' incident".[25]

Media-reported incidents

In fiction

In the 2006 Doctor Who episode "School Reunion", the Doctor comments on the kids at the school being very well-behaved, expecting them to be "happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones".

A group of British teenagers in the 2008 movie Eden Lake film the torturing and burning of a young boy.

In the 2009 film Harry Brown, a teenager films the murder of an elderly man, which Michael Caine's character uses as evidence to inflict pain on the teenager.

In episode 1 of series 2 of the British political satire The Thick of It, Hugh tells Glenn to happy slap Ollie while Hugh takes a picture of it on Ollie's phone.

In Coronation Street in November 2013, Simon Barlow was the victim of a happy-slapping incident by Faye Windass and Grace Piper. He was attacked, forced into one of his cousin Amy's dresses, and almost had lipstick applied to him. Grace filmed while Faye attacked him.

In 2011, Canadian filmmaker Christos Sourligas directed a film, also called Happy Slapping, about this phenomenon. The film was shot entirely on iPhone 4S by the cast.[43] It was re-edited in 2014 with new material to accommodate the selfie-obsessed market.[44]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Happy slapping' gang members admit killing Ekram Haque. BBC News. 16 June 2010. 30 November 2015.
  2. Web site: Sex attack phone girls detained. BBC News. 30 August 2007. 30 November 2015.
  3. Web site: TV to blame for 'happy slapping' craze . 30 June 2005. Manchester Evening News. 30 November 2015.
  4. Web site: 'Don't ban' slap attack TV shows. BBC News. 12 May 2005. 30 November 2015.
  5. Web site: 'Happy Slapping' Spreads in London. Nick. Watt. 17 May 2006. ABC News. 30 November 2015.
  6. News: Does 'happy slapping' exist?. Akwagyiram. Alexis. BBC News. 1 September 2016.
  7. News: Happy-slap link to TV shows . Johnston. Chris. The Times. 1 September 2016. London, UK.
  8. Web site: Happy slapping. Gary. Martin. phrases.org.uk. 30 November 2015.
  9. http://www.netavisen-sjaelland.dk/news.php?item.326 "8-måneders fængsel for 'happy slapping'"
  10. http://www.rigsadvokat.dk/media/bilag/RI_17-2007_Bilag_til_redegorelse____244-246.pdf Oversigt over straffene i voldssager efter ændringen af straffelovens §§ 244–246
  11. Peter Banke "Slap med bøde for 'happy slapping'", BT.dk, 19 April 2006.
  12. Web site: Criminal codes - Legislationline. www.legislationline.org. en. 2018-02-08.
  13. http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/12/dossiers/prevention_delinquance.asp Legislative file
  14. http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=INTX0600091L Law #2007-297
  15. Commission de la carte d'identité des journalistes professionnels
  16. Work Code, article L761-2, article L761-15, article L761-16
  17. Web site: Communiqué. Reporters Without Borders. 30 November 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080503213819/http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=21237. 3 May 2008.
  18. http://www.wikimedia.fr/index.php/Communiqu%C3%A9s_de_presse/Projet_de_loi_prevention_delinquance Communiqué
  19. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1490130.ece Criticism of anti-"happy slapping" law
  20. http://www.rsf.org/imprimer.php3?id_article=21704 Communiqué
  21. http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/Reponse_Sarkozy.pdf Nicolas Sarkozy comments on "happy slapping" legislation
  22. News: Happy slap attack girl guilty. BBC News. 14 February 2008. 1 September 2016.
  23. News: 'Happy slap' death girl convicted. BBC News. 14 February 2008. 1 September 2016.
  24. News: Girl jailed for filming 'happy-slap' killing. The Guardian. 18 March 2008. 1 September 2016. London, UK. Angela. Balakrishnan.
  25. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-slapping-idUKL1884088120080318 "Suspect sentenced for aiding and abetting a 'happy slapping' incident"
  26. News: Mother rages at 'slap attackers'. BBC News. 23 May 2007.
  27. News: Girl's rape 'filmed by teenagers on mobile'. The Times. 23 May 2007. London, UK. Tosin. Sulaiman.
  28. News: Myleene's Happy Slap Hell. The Mirror. 1 September 2016. London, UK. Cameron. Robertson.
  29. News: Youths jailed for barman killing. BBC News. 1 September 2016.
  30. News: Feral pack who thrived on violence. BBC News. Summers. Chris. 1 September 2016.
  31. News: Jail For Happy Slap Killers. Sky News. 23 May 2007.
  32. News: Isosisko pisti kuoliaaksi pikkuveljensä hakkaajan Örebrossa. fi. Turun Sanomat. 23 May 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930192345/http://www.turunsanomat.fi/ulkomaat/?ts=1,3:1003:0:0,4:3:0:1:2006-09-05,104:3:402952,1:0:0:0:0:0: . 30 September 2007.
  33. News: The Age. DVD school in despair. 23 May 2007. Melbourne.
  34. News: The Age. Teens face DVD porn charges. 23 May 2007. Melbourne.
  35. News: BBC News. Life for 'happy slap' murder boy. 23 May 2007.
  36. News: The Argus. Six teens bailed in 'happy slap' inquiry. 23 May 2007.
  37. USA Today: Man urinates on dying woman, declaring it "YouTube material", usatoday.com; accessed 1 September 2016.
  38. News: X Factor Emily pulls out of show. BBC News. 2 November 2007. 1 September 2016.
  39. News: Teen girl dies fleeing 'happy slap' gang. news.com.au. 20 May 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080525213957/http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23729199-2,00.html. 25 May 2008.
  40. Web site: Girl, 15, sentenced to eight years over bullying death of Rosimeiri Boxall . The Guardian . 2009-12-15 . 2020-06-30.
  41. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10808090 BBC News, Attorney General to review "happy-slap" sentence
  42. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01glw34 "Attacked"
  43. Web site: Canadian 'Happy Slapping' Feature Shot Solely By Actors Using iPhone 4. Etan. Vlessing. The Hollywood Reporter. 26 August 2011. 30 November 2015.
  44. Web site: Filmmakers pick up the phone for an update of Happy Slapping. Bill. Brownstein. Montreal Gazette. 30 November 2015.

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