Happyslapping

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

HappyslappingisafadoriginatingintheUKinwhichoneormorepeopleattackavictimforthepurposeof
recordingtheassault(commonlywithacameraphoneorasmartphone).Thoughthetermusuallyrefersto
relativelyminoractsofviolencesuchashittingorslappingthevictim,moreseriouscrimessuchasthe
manslaughterofapensioner[1]andsexualassaulthavebeenclassifiedas"happyslapping"bytheBBC.[2]

Contents
1 Usewithvideotechnology
2 History
3 Legalconsequences
3.1 Denmark
3.2 France
3.3 UnitedKingdom
4 Mediareportedincidents
5 Infiction
6 Seealso
7 References
8 Externallinks

Usewithvideotechnology
Theeaseandgeneralavailabilityofvideocamerasinmobilephonesmeansthatsuchattacksneednotbe
plannedcarefullybeforehandandaremoreeasilywatchedandcirculatedforentertainment.Somepoliticaland
mediacommentatorsclaimthecrazewasinspiredbysuchtelevisionshowsasJackass,DirtySanchezand
Bumfights.[3][4][5]

History
"Happyslapping"startedintheSouthLondonBoroughofLewisham,[6][7]inaformatknownas"SlapHappy
TV",whereahappyslappingvideowouldberecorded,andthenwatchedbydozensofpeoplelikeaTVshow,
butintheformofamontage.VideosofHappySlappingwerecommonlycirculatedviaBluetoothonmobile
phones.Thefirstnewspaperarticletousethephrase"happyslapping"was"Bulliesfilmfightsbyphone",
publishedinTheTimesEducationalSupplementon21January2005,inwhichreporterMichaelShaw
describedteachers'accountsofthecrazeinLondonschools.
GaryMartin,writingon"ThePhraseFinder"websitedescribedthephenomenonas:"Unprovokedattackson
individualsmadeinordertorecordtheevent,andespeciallythevictim'sshockandsurprise,onvideo
phones."[8]
Martinwrotethathappyslapping"beganasayouthcrazeintheUKinlate2004.Childrenorpassersbyare
slappedorotherwisemuggedbyoneormoreofagangwhileothersrecordtheeventonvideoandthen
distributeitbyphoneorInternet.Initiallytheattackswere,asthephrasewouldhaveusbelieve,fairlyminor
pranks...Asthecrazespreadtheattacksbecamemoreviciousoftenseriousassaultsknowninlegalcirclesas
grievousbodilyharm."[8]

Legalconsequences

Denmark
Whentheinternationalmediaattentionsurroundingattacksabroadreachedahighpoint,agirlwassentencedto
eightmonthsinprison.[9]Shewassentencedonanumberofcountsincludingpreviouscrimes.
Acommonpunishmentin2007wasafineorupto40daysinprison,suspendediftheattackerhasnoprevious
record.[10][11]Happyslappingisjudgedas"simplebattery"asdefinedbysection244oftheDanishCriminal
Code.

France
InFebruary2007,anamendmentaimedatcriminalising"happyslapping"wasaddedtoalaw"onthe
preventionofthedelinquence"bytheParliamentofFrancebasedonaproposalfromthenInteriorMinister
NicolasSarkozy.[12][13]theantihappyslappingclauseappearsasthelastpartofArticle44,whichalsodeals
withambushinglawenforcementpersonnel.Thelawequatesfilmingorphotographingcertainclassesof
violentcrimes,includingseverebeatingsandrape,withbeinganaccompliceofsuchcrimes.Thelawmakesit
illegaltobroadcasttheimagesofsuchcrimes,punishablebyupto5yearsinprisonand/ora75,000fine.
Thelawdoesnotapplytothosewhotooktheaboveactionsinordertoobtainevidenceincourt,oras
professionaljournalism.ProfessionaljournalismisdelimitedinFrancebythe"presscard",whichisawarded
byacommissionrepresentingjournalistunionsandpressorganizations.[14]Asdefinedbylaw,[15]aprofessional
journalistisonewhosemainactivityisprofessionalpaidjournalism.
Thebillwassignedintolawon5March2007,despitesomeorganizations,includingReportersWithout
Borders,[16]andtheFrenchchapterofWikimedia,[17]arguingthatthisclausecreatedalegaldiscriminationin
criminallawbetweenprofessionaljournalistsandordinarycitizenspracticingjournalism.Specifically,itwas
arguedthatcitizensfilmingincidentsofpolicebrutalityandpublishingsuchinformationonlinecouldbe
intimidatedbylawenforcementintoremainingsilent,orprosecutedfortheiractions.Thiscriticismwasrelayed
bytheinternationalmedia.[18]
FrenchPresidentNicolasSarkozydeclaredtoReportersWithoutBordersthat"thespiritofthelawisnotto
infringeoffreedomofinformation.However,iftheleastdoubtsubsisted,thenI'minfavourofaclarificationof
thelaw."[19][20]

UnitedKingdom
InMarch2008,ateenagegirlwhofilmedthefatalbeatingofamanonhermobilephonewassentencedtotwo
years'detentioninthefirstprosecutionofitskindintheUnitedKingdom.Thejudgestatedthatthecourtshad
tomakeanexampleofsuchyouths.ShehadpleadedguiltyatLeedsCrownCourtinFebruary2008toaiding
andabettingthemanslaughterofGavinWaterhouse,29,fromKeighley,WestYorkshire.MarkMasters,19,
fromKeighley,andSeanThompson,17,fromBradford,weresentencedtosevenandsixyearsrespectively
afteradmittingtomanslaughter.WaterhousediedfromarupturedspleenafterbeingbeateninSeptember
2007.[21][22][23]
Justbeforetheattack,thegirlwashandedamobilephonebyoneoftheattackersandtoldto"videothis",
prosecutorssaid.SheapproachedWaterhouse,askedformoney,andrecordedthesubsequentattack.Shewas
sentencedtoserveatwoyeardetentiontrainingorder.Policesaidtheyweresatisfiedwiththecourt'sdecision.
TheCrownProsecutorsaid"thisisthefirsttimeasuspectinEnglandandWaleshasbeensuccessfully
prosecutedforaidingandabettingmurderormanslaughter,forthefilmingofaninaptlycalled'happyslapping'
incident".[24]

Mediareportedincidents

UnitedKingdom:On9May2005,a16yearoldPlantHillArtsCollegestudentwasbeatenupandleft
unconsciousinavicious"happyslapping"attackinBlackley.Footageoftheattackwascirculatedon
students'phones.[25]
UnitedKingdom,18June2005:Policearrestedthree14yearoldboysforthesuspectedrapeofan11
yearoldgirlwhoattendedtheirschoolinStokeNewington,London.Authoritieswerealertedwhen
schoolstaffsawfootagefromthestudents'phones.[26]
UnitedKingdom,7December2005:SingerMyleeneKlasswashappyslappedinBermondsey,South
London.[27]
UnitedKingdom,December2005:A15yearoldgirl,ChelseaO'Mahoney(hernamewasinitially
withheld,althoughthisdecisionwasreversedduringsentencing)[28]andhercodefendantsReece
Sargeant,21,DarrenCase,18,andDavidBlenman,17,wereallconvictedofthemanslaughterofDavid
MorleyinLondon.BarryLee,20,andanother17yearoldwereclearedofallcharges.Accordingto
pressreports,"The15yearoldgirlhadtoldMorleythatshewasmakingadocumentaryabout'happy
slapping'beforehergangoffriendskickedhimtodeath."[29][30]
Denmark,10May2006:Twomenaged17and19attackedawomaninCopenhagenonekickedthe
victimwhiletheotherfilmedtheincidentusingamobilephone.Twoplainclothespoliceofficerssawthe
incident,andtheassailantswereimmediatelyarrestedandthemobilephoneconfiscated.
Sweden,1September2006:Aftera16yearoldboyhappyslappedandhospitaliseda15yearold
Balkanimmigrantboyinthecityofrebro,thevictim's17yearoldsisterstabbedandkilledthe
assailantwithahuntingknifeandclaimedselfdefence.Thehappyslappingwasfilmedanddistributed
online.[31]
Australia,23October2006:PoliceinVictorialaunchedaninvestigationintotheproductionand
distributionofaDVD,Cunt:TheMovie,featuringfootageofseveralyouthssexuallyassaultingagirl
andsettingherhaironfire.DVDcopieswereallegedlysoldattheWerribeeSecondaryCollegefor
$10.[32][33]
UnitedKingdom,26January2007:AndrewElvin,17,wasjailedforlife,withaminimumcustodial
sentenceoftwelve(12)years,forthemurderofLukeSalisbury,whodiedthreedaysafterbeingattacked
byElvinon2March2006.CaineHallett,18,wassentencedtofiveyearsformanslaughterforthesame
incident,whileDanielleReeves,18,facedaretrialinMay2007formanslaughter.[34]
UnitedKingdom,14February2007:Eightyouthssetupona31yearoldman,CurtisMulcare,in
Brighton,whoturnedouttobeanamateurboxer.Twooftheyouthswerehospitalisedbytheintended
victimandfourwerearrestedforcausinganaffray.[35]
UnitedKingdom,July2007:AnthonyAnderson,27,ofHartlepool,urinatedonadyingwomanwhilea
friendmadeavideooftheincident.Heisreportedtohaveyelled"ThisisYouTubematerial!"[36]
UnitedKingdom,November2007:EmilyNakanda,15,acontestantintheTVshowTheXFactor,
withdrewfromthecompetitionafterahappyslappingvideoinwhichNakandaallegedlyattacksa
teenagegirlwasdiscoveredontheinternet.[37]
UnitedKingdom,May2008:Ateenagegirlfelltoherdeathfromanatticwindowwhiletryingtoescape
a"happyslapping"girlgang.[38]
UnitedKingdom,August2009:EkramHaque,aretiredcareworkerwasassaultedandkilledbytwo
teensashelefthishouseofworship.[39]Haque'sattackwasthesubjectofaBBC3episodeofOur
Crime.[40]

Infiction
ThegroupofBritishteenagersinthemovieEdenLakefilmedthetorturingandburningofalittleboy.
InHarryBrown,ateenagerfilmsthemurderofanelderlyman,whichMichaelCaine'scharacterusesas
evidencetoinflictpainontheteenager.
InSeries2Episode1ofBritishpoliticalsatireTheThickofIt,HughtellsGlenntohappyslapOlliewhileHugh
takesapictureofitonOllie'sphone.

InCoronationStreetinNovember2013,SimonBarlowwasthevictimofahappyslappingincidentcausedby
FayeWindassandGracePiper.Simonwasattacked,forcedintooneofhiscousinAmy'sdressesandhad
lipsticktriedtobeappliedtohim.GracefilmedwhileFayeattackedhim.
In2011,CanadianfilmmakerChristosSourligasdirectedafilm,alsocalledHappySlapping,aboutthis
phenomenon.ThefilmwasshotentirelyoniPhone4sbythecast.[41]Itwasreeditedin2014withnewmaterial
toaccommodatethe"selfie"obsessedmarket.[42]

Seealso
Knockoutgame

References
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Externallinks
HowIunwittinglyhelpedtostarttheHappySlapspanic(http://www.spikedonline.com/Articles/000000
0CAB59.htm)
HappySlaps:FactandFiction(http://www.spikedonline.com/Articles/0000000CAAD3.htm)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Happy_slapping&oldid=739646739"
Categories: YouthcultureintheUnitedKingdom Crimes Abuse Bullying 2000sfadsandtrends
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