Grappling with the Gray

Do two wrongs make a right? How about one-and-a-half wrongs?

That's the question that drives the conversation when Mark Herschberg, Sven Lauch, and Stewart Wiggins join the ethics panel to Grapple with the Gray.

Here is our topic:

Late last year, a senior German policeman was convicted of threatening a suspect with torture to extract information about the whereabouts of an abducted boy. Wolfgang Daschner received a warning instead of jail time, in addition to a fine of about $18,000.

Although many Germans sided with Daschner for choosing the lesser of two evils, the presiding judge, Barbel Stock, said that, "Respect for human rights is a foundation of our constitutional state ... Information cannot be forced from someone even if one is seeking to avert danger."

Amnesty International welcomed the verdict, saying it upheld an absolute ban on the use of torture, and Germany's police union said the ruling was understandable. The case has particular resonance in Germany, where the Gestapo and the Stasi routinely trampled on detainees' rights during the Third Reich and under Soviet style government.

Daschner's defense was partly based on his view at the time that the abducted boy might still have been alive, and that the suspect had to be made to talk to find the victim. Tragically, the suspect had already murdered the boy, although he did lead police to the body. The police's interrogation tactics, once they came to light, threatened to derail the trial, although ultimately, the defendant was sentenced to life in prison.

Whether torture is excusable to exact information that might save lives has been a particularly hot topic of debate since 9/11. But what are the ethical angles involved in the threat of torture?

Meet this week’s panel:

Mark Herschberg is Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer of Zereo.ai. He is a professional speaker and creator of Brain Bump, a free app that helps consumers of non-fiction content better access and retain what they learn.

Sven Lauch comes to us from Plymouth, England. He is Director of Eyes Up Training Limited, which offers a holistic approach to implementing organizational change with emphasis on developing transferable skills that anyone can learn.

Stewart Wiggins joins us from Paris. He is Chief Advisor at Induna Advisors, working to significantly increase company revenue by developing positive client reports and establishing solid business relationships.

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