Belfast another appalling attack, we need to ask what is driving this.

Sago. An Irish reporter on TV this morning, reporting from Belfast said that it has actually brought the two sides together and it’s the first time he has seen this. They are all equally shocked at this brutal attack.

Primrose53

OK, the REASON he did this is because he is an evil monster who chose to attack a vulnerable man.

Stephen is now in an induced coma. He is deaf and has now lost his sight and his nose. His throat is slit, he has a slashed shoulder and a puncture wound to his rib cage.

I cannot comprehend this, that poor man already disadvantaged and now having to cope with these heinous injuries .

I read that he had been helping this man and his friends, they had moved into his block of flats 4 days prior to the incident.

I pray for him and for NI that this isn’t the catalyst for a return to the bad old days.

Yes Fallingstar for the family to know so they can try and make sense of it, but it won’t help society.

OK, the REASON he did this is because he is an evil monster who chose to attack a vulnerable man.

Stephen is now in an induced coma. He is deaf and has now lost his sight and his nose. His throat is slit, he has a slashed shoulder and a puncture wound to his rib cage.

Nothing justifies violent protests in my view. The Police have been accused of racism for stopping and searching more black and ethnic teenagers and young men and although it doesn’t apply in the Belfast case, he did carry a knife.
My musings on stop and search are sort of running alongside the whole knife carrying thing.A lot of asylum seekers admit they carry knives for their own protection ( from other asylum seekers).

Oreo

I really think Cossy that it won’t help it happening again.
Murders and violent attacks are often carried out for reasons of jealousy/ envy/anger/ frustration/ financial/MH and other reasons and knowing the exact reason has never stopped it happening again has it?

I agree with the main thrust of what you are saying Oreo. There will always be heinous crimes committed in society. But I think it is important to the loved ones of the victims to know why it happened, and not to just think it was a senseless loss of life. So if it was because the attacker or murderer was mentally unwell or because he was acting out some heinous political agenda it will matter to the loved ones struggling to make sense of such a terrible act.

Casdon

27 people, including a two month old baby are homeless as a result of the firebombing of their homes in the riots last night. I’ve just seen that the names and addresses of others are being circulated online, so they can be targeted too. It must be terrifying for them.

Musk encouraged using X (Twitter) to advertise "gatherings" of rioters and publishing (doxxing|) details of targets.

Oreo

Maremia

Of course it matters 'why'.
And asking that, does not stop him from paying for his crime.

I disagree.
It doesn’t help society to know why people do things, commit violent crimes.It can be anything at all, so many reasons and none.
It used to be thought that poverty drove people to violent crime but I believe that was disproven years ago.
Carrying a knife means you’re likely to use it whenever you get angry or defensive and the police need to step up stop and search and not be hamstrung by cries of racism.

I haven't seen that racism (or "cries of racism") affected the handling of the latest case. You're the one saying that the reason doesn't matter, so maybe it should be left as "attempted murder (reason unknown)", but that wouldn't justify (in their own minds) all the disgusting violent protests.

Cossy

Casdon this is an appalling situation, and (imo) it’s simply the rent-a-thug crowd, the kind who are spurred on by the thought of a good fight and motivated by online posts.

Anyone who cared a jot for the victims or was worried or anxious about the original attacks, would simply not react in this way.

Next we will see them marching in white hood, carrying burning crosses and hanging people from trees.

It’s all so bloody awful.

It really is scarey. I think you're right.

Oreo

I really think Cossy that it won’t help it happening again.
Murders and violent attacks are often carried out for reasons of jealousy/ envy/anger/ frustration/ financial/MH and other reasons and knowing the exact reason has never stopped it happening again has it?

You make a good point, but in that case the last part of the OP is redundant. There is no reason this latest attack happened - or the one by the Sikh, for that matter. I have absolutely no idea what the motive for either was.

I really think Cossy that it won’t help it happening again.
Murders and violent attacks are often carried out for reasons of jealousy/ envy/anger/ frustration/ financial/MH and other reasons and knowing the exact reason has never stopped it happening again has it?

Casdon this is an appalling situation, and (imo) it’s simply the rent-a-thug crowd, the kind who are spurred on by the thought of a good fight and motivated by online posts.

Anyone who cared a jot for the victims or was worried or anxious about the original attacks, would simply not react in this way.

Next we will see them marching in white hood, carrying burning crosses and hanging people from trees.

It’s all so bloody awful.

Maremia

Of course it matters 'why'.
And asking that, does not stop him from paying for his crime.

I disagree.
It doesn’t help society to know why people do things, commit violent crimes.It can be anything at all, so many reasons and none.
It used to be thought that poverty drove people to violent crime but I believe that was disproven years ago.
Carrying a knife means you’re likely to use it whenever you get angry or defensive and the police need to step up stop and search and not be hamstrung by cries of racism.

Oreo I truly believe the “why” is important, as it might help to prevent another person carrying out such an atrocity.

I agree with the rest of your statement.

A senior NI politician said that those who were spurring people on to riot probably don’t even know where Belfast is on the map and those who took to the streets in their bother boots and balaclavas were only interested in causing damage and injury, and seemed more than ready for it, I very much doubt that any of them were thinking of the poor innocent victim but rather of the hatred they feel towards any immigrant/asylum seeker.

27 people, including a two month old baby are homeless as a result of the firebombing of their homes in the riots last night. I’ve just seen that the names and addresses of others are being circulated online, so they can be targeted too. It must be terrifying for them.

Of course it matters 'why'.
And asking that, does not stop him from paying for his crime.

Oreo

It hardly matters why….you can ask that question of any violent attack or murder but the fact is they did it.Could be any reason, they are a sociopath/ have a quick temper/feel insulted/ and so on.Some people don’t even need a reason to do violent things.
He did it and must pay the price.

Of course it matters why. In fact that informs things like the actual crime charged, degree of culpability, sentencing.

It hardly matters why….you can ask that question of any violent attack or murder but the fact is they did it.Could be any reason, they are a sociopath/ have a quick temper/feel insulted/ and so on.Some people don’t even need a reason to do violent things.
He did it and must pay the price.

Primrose53

We need to remember that the poor man who was very nearly beheaded has lost an eye and has other very serious injuries and his life will never be the same again. That is where my sympathies lie. I have none whatsoever for the alleged assailant who is an absolute monster.

People need to stop making excuses for him and concentrate on the poor victim.

The heading for this thread includes "we need to ask what is driving this."

That is begging the question which asks for a reason. Nobody can know what drives attacks such as this one without asking why it happened. What was going on inside the attackers head? What motivated him?

A reason isn't the same as an excuse. If we want to know why, we have to have a reason.

Cossy

None of these situations are helped by rioting.

The rioting is caused, in part, by irresponsible and awful people on social media’s sharing both videos of events and misinformation.

My husband is Irish, (Southern) his previous partner was from Belfast, these riots and attacks following the stabbing must chill some of these residents to the core, so reminiscent of “the troubles”.

In my opinion it’s appalling enough to have a stabbing in one’s community to compound this with rioting, damaging people and property and even set fire to peoples home is simply atrocious.

They certainly aren’t rioting in the interest of the victims. The victim’s family have made it quite clear that they don’t want riots, and don’t see them as any kind of answer.

He's now in a coma how sad.

Primrose53

We need to remember that the poor man who was very nearly beheaded has lost an eye and has other very serious injuries and his life will never be the same again. That is where my sympathies lie. I have none whatsoever for the alleged assailant who is an absolute monster.

People need to stop making excuses for him and concentrate on the poor victim.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

None of these situations are helped by rioting.

The rioting is caused, in part, by irresponsible and awful people on social media’s sharing both videos of events and misinformation.

My husband is Irish, (Southern) his previous partner was from Belfast, these riots and attacks following the stabbing must chill some of these residents to the core, so reminiscent of “the troubles”.

In my opinion it’s appalling enough to have a stabbing in one’s community to compound this with rioting, damaging people and property and even set fire to peoples home is simply atrocious.

No it doesn't mitigate those crimes Tuliptree, but we are allowed to query the number of Threads highlighting certain types of criminals, but not others.