Journalism at its best?

The JEP story about Tony Carlyon being savaged by a dog ends with the story that the police told him "there was nothing they could do" because it took place on private land. He was told that an offense would only have been committed if the dog had been ordered to attack, and the story ends by saying "he was told that the same would apply if the dog killed a child on private property".

Now either there are some very stupid policeman out there, trying to pass the buck and not have to take action, or else there is sloppy reporting.

What is astounding is that no one checked the story out, with the suggestion that it gives that nothing would happen if a child was killed by a dog.

What appears to be the case is that if a child was killed while no charges would be laid against the owner if it took place on private property, the dog would none the less almost be certain to be removed and destroyed, or destroyed on site. In other words, the owner would not be liable in criminal law, but would not be allowed to keep the dog as if nothing had occurred.

We can see that in two tragic stories elsewhere in 2008. The second case makes this distriction clear.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/pit-bull-kills-child-and-injures-grandmother-430491.html

A pit bull terrier has killed a five-year-old girl and seriously injured her grandmother. Police are investigating whether New Year's Eve fireworks may have scared the dog and prompted it to attack the girl. Ellie Lawrenson was found bleeding to death in the living room of her grandmother's home in St Helens, Merseyside. Police concluded that the dog could not be safely removed and it was shot.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/family-dog-mauls-girl/2008/04/16/1208025274961.html

A seven-year-old Sydney girl was mauled by the family dog in a backyard attack that ended when a neighbour dragged the pitbull cross-breed off the child. The girl's father said nobody was to blame for the attack, but his pet of two months, named Sargeant, would be "put down". The dog was impounded by Blacktown Council officers. "We've seized the dog and it's in our animal holding facility," a council spokeswoman said. Police said it was likely the dog would be destroyed. "The most likely scenario is the people who own the dog will hand ownership over to the council and then they will actually destroy the dog," a police spokeswoman said. As the attack happened on private property, it was no longer a police matter and no charges would be laid, she said.



http://www.dogexpert.com/FatalDogAttacks/2005/VA2005a.htm