What if one half of Conjoined twins commits a murder?

iritadragon

The other twin would be just as guilty, because they didn't prevent the stabbing to begin with. So they could be judged as an accessory, and would receive an equal sentence of culpability.

Cyrus M

In England & Wales the matter would be considered according to all the detailed facts of the incident. If it can be shown that the second twin had no involvement whatsoever and could not have stopped the incident from occuring then there would be grave problems presented to the sentencing judge. The judge would not be able to forciby imprison the inncocent twin. The law recognises that some guilty people can escape justice in certain instances such as this but the law can never accept that an innocent person is incarcerated for an offence they did not commit. Your example is very novel and probably entirely academic. I am not aware that a similar case has been tried in England & Wales. However if it was tried then there could well be issues of a psychological nature to explore in preparing a defence.

You must bear in mind that in most practical situations it would be arguable that the twins had acted together.

George III

funny...yet there's no particular provision in our laws that deals with that action...but if the prosecutor can prove that the other twin help commit the act and didn't do anything to deter the killing then he will be held as an accomplice, therefore both of them will go to jail.

john g

I remember an episode of QI, where there was a story of this happening. There was a pair of conjoined twins and one of them did actually commit a murder. He was found guilty, but the judge would not send him to jail because it would have involved an innocent man - the twin - going to jail also.

Mel

everyone seems to think that the second twin would be an accomplice would may be true, but may not be true. For all we know the second twin was trying to stop it. But it would be rather hard since there is a second person dirctly attached to you that is trying to do something that obviously invovles alot of hate.

I would hope there would be someone there as a witness..otherwise the second twin may have to go to jail for something he.she didnt want to do.

i dont believe there are any cases like that and I also dont believe there are any laws that would help with it. The decision would be up to the judge. maybe the judge would order them to become seperated and then throw the quilty one in jail..

????????

Doesn't matter. Accessory to a murder is the same as murder.

Sarge

You get a star just for the question.

I think if one of the twins is convicted and sent to jail the other would have to go along for the ride.

The trail may raise a legal point that is the innocent twin required to testify against the other or would that be self incrimination

Bud#21

The second twin would be an accessory to murder and would also be sent to prison. If the murderous twin was sentenced to death, they would have to snuff it out in such a way as to not harm the non-murderous twin. If they couldn't carry out the sentence with out harming both twins they may have to reduce the sentence of the murderous twin, or medicate the murderous twin in order to keep him or her from becoming a further threat to society.

Mustang2k7

i dont know if your serious about this question,
but i think the one twin would be kept in a box and not allowed out while the other carried on his every day life

(kept in a wooden box strapped to the other guy, with a serving hatch for bread and water,the box probably on wheels so he wouldnt cause trouble to the other twin)

Underpants.

To people who say the other twin didn't prevent the murder the twin could have been sleeping whilst the murder took place, Rofl, that could be their exscuse.

CLIVE H

The other conjoined twin is an accomplice and therefore in English Law guilty of aiding and abetting in a murder most horrid.

alex

The other twin would be an accomplice?

confused

In reality they would administer a lethal injection to the naaughty half and the other half would get off scott free.......
But what a decent question! gets a star from me!

tricia l

I do not know about that but I think it would make an excellent novel,

squawinpants

Your mind is doing over drive what a thing to think about you should be on a philosophy course!

free2rhyme

lol...i was thinking about that that the other day coz i watched this programme about some conjoinded girls and i was
like if one conjoined twin threw a pencil at a teachers head would the teacher keep them both back or would she let them both go!! it is well strange

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