Hospital director encourages murdering dad to kill self - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Grasshopper Green · 08-18-2006, 10:08 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe...nge/index.html

Quote:

Death leap father 'murder charge'
He should commit suicide, hospital director reported as saying

Friday, August 18, 2006; Posted: 9:44 a.m. EDT (13:44 GMT)

Great Britain
Greece
Manage Alerts | What Is This? (CNN) -- A British man is facing a murder charge after his son, 6, died and his daughter, 2, was injured when the trio plunged from a hotel balcony in Greece.

John Hogan is under police guard in hospital following the death of his son Liam, who suffered fatal injuries in the incident at a holiday resort in southern Crete.

Hogan was pictured on the front page of British newspapers Friday in a hospital bed after reportedly telling doctors: "I want to die too."

The businessman's two-year-old daughter, Mia, suffered a broken arm and has been released from University General Hospital in Heraklion.

Hogan, 32, suffered a broken arm, leg and chest injuries and underwent surgery at the hospital Thursday.

After the operation he was transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit, where a spokesman said his condition was improving.

"The patient is getting better and he will be transferred to the orthopedics ward today," he told the UK's Press Association.

"He had a fracture to the femur and the tibia and he has been operated on for these fractures. He is now breathing with a face mask and is awake and fully aware," the hospital spokesman said.

He added he could not say how long Hogan would be in hospital.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office told PA Hogan will be arrested on suspicion of the murder of his son and the attempted murder of his daughter, but was not likely to be charged until he recovered from surgery.

A University General Hospital spokesman told PA Mia was in a "good condition" with fractures to her left arm, now in a cast.

Hogan, who runs a tiling business from his home in Bradley Stoke, Bristol, western England, was on a two-week holiday with his wife Natasha, a nurse.

He plunged from the fourth-floor hotel balcony with their two children on Tuesday, apparently after arguing with his wife. The incident took place at the Petra Mare Hotel, a 227-bedroom four-star beachfront hotel in Lerapetra, a popular holiday destination on the island, PA said.

Panayotis Spatharakis, director of the Heraklion Hospital, told the Daily Mirror: "We asked him why he did it and he told us he was very drunk and could not exactly remember what happened.

"I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should commit suicide."

The Daily Mirror reported that Hogan's plight after the plunge brought little sympathy from angry locals who surrounded his stretcher to scream abuse.

I'm baffled why someone involved with healthcare would encourage someone to commit suicide. No, I don't have sympathy for the father, he killed his own child, and he deserves punishment...lots of it. I just don't understand where the suicide part comes in. I suppose it's a cultural thing perhaps, but I just can't see a doctor/director of a hospital here in the States encouraging that. What do you think? Did the director do the right thing? Should the man commit suicide instead of facing prison?

Dane Bramage · 08-18-2006, 10:35 AM

I think it comes from the fact that the father has stated that he wants to die. I don't think it's actually a case of the doctor thinking that the father deserves death as punishment, but actually being able to end his life because he wants to. there are a lot of people in the medical industry that belive in a person's right to end thier life. i mean... why should it be a crime anyway? think abou it... we don't know why he tried to kill his kids (succeeding once). perhas he is so depressed that it seemed like the thing to do... well, if he had killed himself instead of his child... *shrugs*

Bill O'Rights · 08-18-2006, 10:37 AM

Quote:

"I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should commit suicide." Panayotis Spatharakis, director of the Heraklion Hospital

Huh?
Excuse me, Doctor Spartacus, or whatever...isn't that why the man's in there in the first place?

Sounds like somebody needs to re-read his hypocritical oath.

Fourth floor? This idiot jumped from the fourth floor? Dangerous...sure. Painful...most likely. But to try to kill yourself from the fourth floor?

No...while it's certainly possible...it's not a sure enough thing. Head on up to the tenth floor, at least. Then you know that the concrete that's rushing up to greet you will be last thing to go through your mind.

fresnelly · 08-18-2006, 11:13 AM

It could be that his english is a bit rough. If you substitute "might" for "should", the statement turns into one of doctorly concern.

What an odd editorial choice to include that part of his quote.

/I assume Bill, that you meant "Hippocratic" oath?

Bill O'Rights · 08-18-2006, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fresnelly

I assume Bill, that you meant "Hippocratic" oath?

Not in this case.

silent_jay · 08-18-2006, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

Fourth floor? This idiot jumped from the fourth floor? Dangerous...sure. Painful...most likely. But to try to kill yourself from the fourth floor?

No...while it's certainly possible...it's not a sure enough thing. Head on up to the tenth floor, at least. Then you know that the concrete that's rushing up to greet you will be last thing to go through your mind.

I knew a girl back in high school, she tried to kill herself by jumping off of a 10 foot gazebo 15 feet tops.....it was more comical than anything.....although she did scrape the hell out of her knees when she landed.

frogza · 08-18-2006, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fresnelly

It could be that his english is a bit rough. If you substitute "might" for "should", the statement turns into one of doctorly concern.

I have to agree with this. The statement looks a lot like the english taught in south america so I assume that this greek doctor was trying say that he "might" or Likely will" try to commit suicide.

But I don't know, the media does have such a good track record at not inflating a story to make a headline. /sarcasm

FoxyLucy · 08-18-2006, 12:09 PM

I think it´s a tragics story. Rather than punishment, the guys oughy to receive psychiatric treatment.

Anybody who would do a thing like that is not right in the head.

Dane Bramage · 08-18-2006, 12:31 PM

indeed, that is how most people probably feel. there is obviously something very wrong with a person that can do that. it is very sad that mental issues are so easily overlooked until they get to the point where someone dies.

Ustwo · 08-18-2006, 12:44 PM

Just a note to the outraged posters.

Just because you are a doctor doesn't mean you no longer are allowed to judge people or their actions.

Hell a lot of people think doctors should HELP people commit suicide, perhaps this doctor just wants to help him ease his pain.

Giant Hamburger · 08-18-2006, 12:59 PM

I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should be shot out of a cannon.

analog · 08-18-2006, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ustwo

Just a note to the outraged posters.

Just because you are a doctor doesn't mean you no longer are allowed to judge people or their actions.

Hell a lot of people think doctors should HELP people commit suicide, perhaps this doctor just wants to help him ease his pain.

Totally agreed. Though you have to medically treat everyone without judgment, they are still going to judge people mentally.

Not to mention... it doesn't say he TOLD the guy that. He said in a statement that he should (if that's what he actually meant). It doesn't say he TOLD the guy, "you should kill yourself".

And if he goes to jail, and someone finds out what he did, the prisoners will beat the snot out of him. What an asshole. You wanna die? Leave others out of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giant Hamburger

I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should be shot out of a cannon.

Yeah. Into a brick wall.

The_Jazz · 08-18-2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giant Hamburger

I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should be shot out of a cannon.

First, he should be drawn and quartered, then burned, then his ashes should be shot towards Poland, just like the False Dmitri.

I will now stop being a Russian history geek...
I will now stop being a Russian history geek...
I will now stop being a Russian history geek...

08-18-2006, 10:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dane Bramage Insane Location: Charlotte, NC	I think it comes from the fact that the father has stated that he wants to die. I don't think it's actually a case of the doctor thinking that the father deserves death as punishment, but actually being able to end his life because he wants to. there are a lot of people in the medical industry that belive in a person's right to end thier life. i mean... why should it be a crime anyway? think abou it... we don't know why he tried to kill his kids (succeeding once). perhas he is so depressed that it seemed like the thing to do... well, if he had killed himself instead of his child... shrugs __________________ Every passing hour brings the Solar System forty-three thousand miles closer to Globular Cluster M13 in Hercules — and still there are some misfits who insist that there is no such thing as progress. Kurt Vonnegut - Sirens of Titan

08-18-2006, 11:13 AM	#4 (permalink)
fresnelly Functionally Appropriate Location: Toronto	It could be that his english is a bit rough. If you substitute "might" for "should", the statement turns into one of doctorly concern. What an odd editorial choice to include that part of his quote. /I assume Bill, that you meant "Hippocratic" oath? __________________ Building an artificial intelligence that appreciates Mozart is easy. Building an A.I. that appreciates a theme restaurant is the real challenge - Kit Roebuck - Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life

08-18-2006, 12:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
Dane Bramage Insane Location: Charlotte, NC	indeed, that is how most people probably feel. there is obviously something very wrong with a person that can do that. it is very sad that mental issues are so easily overlooked until they get to the point where someone dies. __________________ Every passing hour brings the Solar System forty-three thousand miles closer to Globular Cluster M13 in Hercules — and still there are some misfits who insist that there is no such thing as progress. Kurt Vonnegut - Sirens of Titan

08-18-2006, 12:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
Ustwo Pissing in the cornflakes	Just a note to the outraged posters. Just because you are a doctor doesn't mean you no longer are allowed to judge people or their actions. Hell a lot of people think doctors should HELP people commit suicide, perhaps this doctor just wants to help him ease his pain. __________________ Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

08-18-2006, 12:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
FoxyLucy Upright	I think it´s a tragics story. Rather than punishment, the guys oughy to receive psychiatric treatment. Anybody who would do a thing like that is not right in the head.

08-18-2006, 12:59 PM	#11 (permalink)
Giant Hamburger Gastrolithuanian Location: low-velocity Earth orbit	I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should be shot out of a cannon.