Sunday, April 10, 2005

Li(f)e Support

Maria Korp lies in a coma in hospital, on life support, following a brutal attack where she was strangled and left in a car boot for 5 days. Her husband and his lover are accused of her attempted murder. Mr Korp has now advised, via his lawyer, that he will fight to keep his wife alive - even though she is in a vegetative state and if life support were withdrawn, she would die within a couple of weeks. Mr Korp is currently appealing for bail - and one of the seemingly compelling reasons why it should be granted is that the main evidence seems to be his co-accused saying he was in on it. Supposedly, he told "the other woman" that it was the only way they could be together.
So - if Mr Korp fights to keep his wife alive via life-support, and she doesn't die - could he ever be charged with murder. Is this a loop hole? How big a penalty does "murder" carry, compared with "attempted murder"? Is it worth his while - especially if he is innocent as he claims he is? And how long after life-threating injuries sustained can you count them as "murder"?

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