Hangman needed

[DrLeftover]

12 March 2014

A newly recruited hangman in Sri Lanka has resigned in shock after being shown the gallows for the first time.

The country has not carried out a judicial execution since 1976 but has over 400 prisoners on death row.

The authorities want to have an executioner ready in case hangings resume.

But three recruits have now abandoned the job within a year after the previous hangman was promoted to become a prison guard.

Commissioner-General of Prisons Chandrarathna Pallegama told the BBC that the new recruit - reported to be 40 and from the town of Anuradhapura - "got shocked and afraid" after seeing the gallows, which came after several days of training.

He had written a letter saying he wanted to resign and had failed to report for training since Monday.

Mr Pallegama said the man would be given one month to consider his decision. If there was no change, fresh applications would be called for through a government gazette.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26542991

 

[Jazzy]

Commissioner-General of Prisons Chandrarathna Pallegama told the BBC that the new recruit - reported to be 40 and from the town of Anuradhapura - "got shocked and afraid" after seeing the gallows, which came after several days of training.

Simple solution: Show the applicants the gallows before you waste time and money training them.

 

[DrLeftover]

My guess is that the gallows are not high enough that the drop will cleanly break the neck of the condemned prisoner and they will, instead, slowly strangle to death.

Something the 'new recruit' may not realize until they've been partially trained.