MEANING OF ACCOUNTABLITY

Meaning of Accountability

Accountability seems to be a word used by families of victims of various tragedies. In late 2010, the families of the victims of the Pike River Mine explosion near Greymouth NZ have been campaigning for someone to be held accountable for the deaths of the 29 men. No one has ever been charged with the disaster, not even for negligence.

Just three months after the Pike River disaster, the Christchurch Earthquake occurred with the death of 182 people, 110 of them in the CTV building which collapsed. As with the Pike River disaster, victim's families have been fighting for accountability but no one has ever been charged. Police claim that they do not have any evidence to lay charges.

So what is the meaning of accountability?

The Collin's School dictionary states "If you are accountable for something, you are responsible for it and have to explain your actions."

It really makes me wonder whether the word "accountability" has been confused with "acknowledgment" which according to the same dictionary states "When you acknowledge a fact, you agree that it is true."

There are tragedies such as a hunter accidently shooting another hunter after accidently mistaking him for a deer. He person who shot his fellow hunter may acknowledge that he is at fault but is is certainly not murder where he intended to kill the other person.

In a small Texan town of Alba in 2007, a 16-year-old girl named Erin Caffey had a massive row with her devout parents who disapproved her relationship with her 19-year-old boyfriend. Erin planned to kill her parents and got her boyfriend to do the job with the help of his mate whose girlfriend was brought into the scheme. Early one morning the two lads entered the house and killed Erin's Mum and her two brothers Mathew (13) and Tyler (8). Her DAd survived the attack with several gun shot wounds. The lads thought they had killed him but he was able to identify the killers and it was later revealed that his own daughter Erin was behind the scheme.

The two lads were sentenced to life without parole, Erin is not eligible for parole until she has served at least 40 years while the other young lady, Bobbi is eligible for parole in 2028.

Erin's Dad forgave his daughter and visits her in prison but....

There are some aspects of the case which I believe needs to be looked at and the main one is why were the two girls Erin and Bobbi convicted of the murders of Erin's two brothers? As far as I can ascertain, killing the two children never entered the conversation prior to the murders. What I am saying here is that their murders should have fallen on Erin and Bobbi's boyfriends. It was their decision to kill them because as someone said, "Kids talk."

It all goes back to the word "Accountability." It appears that the prosecution wanted all four all the defendants to be accountable for all of the deaths in this case even if the decision to kill the children did not enter the mind of Erin who has been portrayed as the ring-leader. The fact that she was only 16, a minor in the eyes of the law and younger than the other three who were at least 18 shows you their level of maturity or lack of it. It should have been their responsibility to look out for Erin, not passing on the responsibility for their barbaric behaviour on to her.

As for the press, the prosecution, and those who have tried to portray Erin as a monster. This is the same kind of vigilante mind-set which breeds the hate which is so prevalant in the world today. Erin's Dad believes that Erin was led astray by her former boyfriend though they were not his exact words but it was in effect what he was saying when he was telling  a TV presenter that he knows what his children are capable of. Listening to Erin herself speaking to the presenter, she certainly did not come across as a person capable of harming anyone. If she was, I think that she would have done the job herself.

Now returning to the meaning of accountability. The two young women Erin and Bobbi were made accountable for the murder of Erin's brothers. It means they were responsible for their deaths. If they were made accountable for their deaths wouldn't it be reasonable to ask them both to explain their action? In other words, ask them why they killed Erin's brothers?

Do you see what I am getting at? If someone was made accountable for the deaths of 29 miners at Pike River or for the 110 who died at the CTV building in Christchurch wouldn't it seem like a stupid question to ask the person (s) found to be accountable to explain why they killed those people?

I think anyone with average intelligance can figure out what I am saying here.

So the question is "Did Erin and Bobbi ever plan to kill Erin's brothers"?

From what I have read and know about this case I do not believe that the killing of Erin's brothers ever entered the conversation so the next question is "Why were they ever convicted of their murders"?

Can anyone explain that to me.?

Erin Caffey and Bobbi Johnson were sentenced to long prison sentences while their boyfriends who did the actual killings were sentenced to life without parole. Bobbi who is eligible for parole in 2028 received the lightest sentence.

I have written to everyone connected to this case and am still waiting for a response.