Right now a huge debate is going in my country - about where the limits of self-defense are. Recently an incident occurred, that triggered this discussion: a father (professionl boxer) killed pedophile, who was about to abuse his son. The question is simple: was he right or wrong?

(should I add the poll?)

My position is that he is totally right. I had absolutely no doubts about that, but then I saw a lot of people saying otherwise (in both RL and internet), so i'm inrerested in what do you guys think.

Aha - the great "He was about to" issue. I met with it long ago - laws says that as long as he didn't commit the crime, he was innocent.

And damn, that's a hard one - because as some cases are true and they really were about to do something bad to others and it's obvious others shouldn't just stand around and let him do it, it :

a) never explains murder - I know he was mad at hell and couldn't control his actions but he took a man's life, some responsibility should be taken

B) there is always this problem with "I assumed he would" why he wasn't about to do it - might not be related to that case particuallary, but there are many cases where others people judgment was false and they punished completely innocent person.

I say no to manslaughter - even if that person was about to kill my mother....

As an Aikido and Iaido practitioner he is right to defend his son but the problem is that he has killed the pedophile in the process as a martial artist you should know how to put a limit in yourself since you are taught how to fight that it can kill normal persons if you use to much of it. So if you ask me, he should have just subdued the pedophile rather than giving him an eternal K.O. punch. The outcome of the event made it wrong.

This is true, BUT: that guy did not control himself - he doesn't remember what happened from the moment he saw the guy with his pants off standing above his son till the moment he saw a police taking him.

We have a guy who robbed the bank - he panicked because cops came and shoot two people - he lost control.

We have a guy who blew up his driving license test - he lost control and hit the contaminator with pen, making him go to hospital. He lost control of his temper.

We have a guy who was ridiculed by other guy - he punched him but unfortunately the victim of his punch felt from the stairs as consequence of it. He became crippled because the other one lost control

I know all this aren't the same as having your child raped, but you know..control.

PS : You might add the poll.

^ Which one of those is self defense?

None, they are examples of loosing control - it wasn't the dad getting raped...

^ Untill your child reach 18 (or 21 in some countries) you are fully responsible for his fate. You are the one. It's the same as if dad was getting raped.

Seems like an over-reaction to me. I mean, the Dad was close enough it seems to stop the act from happening, as soon as his son was safe it was no longer "self defense". If he was smart he would've let the law take care of it, pedos have fun in jail.

though there aren't many justifications for murder, I don't think this is one of them.

hell, he could've just beaten him up a bit and not had to kill him lol

Well, I'm sure he was not going to kill him. He just couldn't control himself well enough.

Music makes you lose control...

There are some case in which the choice either you and/or your loved one or the other person to die. Though outside of war that is rare in this day and age. In that case would you submit yourself to die or defend your life with everything you have? Personally. I would think I would do everything in my power to live in that situation. But in the current case however, sometime your action has a greater impact then you expect. Though killing the pedophile wasn't his intention (or maybe it is I don't know) he took another man life and should be punished accordingly though the reason why should be taken in count during the sentencing.

To be judicially correct: He was wrong. He took a life. There are consequences.

To be morally correct: He was wrong, he has no right to choose one man's life over another anyhow.

Me personally: I'd have done something similar in his position.

That's my honest response.

Why not?

To be logically correct: The world could do without another pedophile. We already have enough.

Good enough reason for me.