A unique case that unfolded in 1884 has sparked a global debate: “When faced with death, are you willing to kill someone to save yourself and others?”
A Foreseen Tragedy
The Mignonette was constructed in 1867. At that time, it was one of the family yachts measuring up to 16 meters in length and equipped with many amenities.
In 1883, during a business trip, an Australian merchant named Henry decided to spend a substantial sum to purchase the Mignonette. However, Sydney, where Henry lived, was nearly 15,000 miles (approximately 24,000 km) away from England. As a result, no one dared to transport this small vessel to far-off Australia.
Illustration of the Mignonette
It seemed that Henry’s order would be canceled, but just in the nick of time, a crew of sailors stepped up to take on the responsibility of transporting the ship. The crew consisted of four men: Captain Tom Dudley, First Mate Edwin Stephens, sailor Edmund Brooks, and a 17-year-old apprentice, Richard Parker.
Many friends and relatives tried to dissuade Richard from this long journey, but he disregarded their concerns, believing it would bring him exciting experiences.
The Fateful Voyage
The Mignonette set sail on May 19, 1884, embarking on its journey. Initially, the trip was “smooth sailing.” However, on July 5, 1884, when they were about 208 kilometers from land, the boat encountered severe weather. A sudden large wave struck, causing the Mignonette to capsize, and a large section of the ship was swept away.
Realizing that the ship would soon sink, Captain Dudley immediately ordered the other three to board the 4-meter lifeboat and take a portion of their food with them. The four men drifted in the lifeboat, which had no fresh water and very little food. The only provisions they had were two small barrels of salted turnips.
In the vast ocean, countless dangers loomed over them day and night. On the first night, all four were unable to sleep as a shark continuously attacked the lifeboat. They struggled to ward off the ferocious creature.
To conserve the two small barrels of turnips, the crew had to fish for food from the sea. They were fortunate to catch a small turtle and consumed it raw; they even used the turtle’s blood to quench their thirst, knowing that drinking seawater would lead to dehydration and death. However, Richard was too afraid to drink the turtle’s blood and instead consumed a lot of seawater.
Unable to endure any longer, they opened the barrel of turnips to eat, and eight days later, they had nothing left to eat. By July 13, 1884, all four were without food or drink and had to resort to drinking their own urine to survive.
A few days later, on July 20, young Parker suddenly developed a fever, lying helplessly at the bottom of the lifeboat. His refusal to heed the advice of his crewmates had left him exhausted from drinking too much seawater.
On July 23, faced with an extreme predicament, Captain Dudley proposed that they draw lots to choose one person to sacrifice so that the others could live.
The selected individual would be killed, and their blood and flesh would sustain the remaining three until rescue arrived. Sailor Brooks refused, terrified and vehemently condemning Dudley’s barbaric suggestion.
That night, Dudley whispered to First Mate Stephens about the proposal again, suggesting that it would be better to kill Richard Parker. The boy was now too weak, and killing him would be a mercy rather than a crime, especially since the other three had families while Richard was just a young boy.
Stephens agreed, and the following morning, the two killed Richard with a penknife. They quickly severed Richard’s arteries, and it wasn’t long before he breathed his last. Brooks did not intervene but merely sat aside, watching the scene unfold.
Stephens, Dudley, and Brooks consumed Richard’s body to survive; for four days, they ate the flesh and drank the blood of the poor boy to stay alive. Five days after Parker’s death, a German ship appeared and rescued the three men, bringing them back to England.
The Controversial Trial
Upon setting foot on land, the three men faced severe criticism from the British authorities. Stephens and Dudley were charged with murder, while Brooks was declared innocent and testified against the other two crew members.
The judge of the case sentenced Dudley and Stephens to death
Notably, Dudley and Stephens did not deny their actions; both openly acknowledged that killing and eating Richard was a horrific crime. Consequently, much of the public sympathized with the actions of Stephens and Dudley, believing they deserved leniency rather than the death penalty as the prosecution had suggested.
In the final trial, despite public support for a reduced sentence and the defendants’ sincerity, the judge stated: “One cannot use desire and personal temptation to justify criminal behavior. We cannot allow compassion for criminals, as it undermines the integrity of the law.”
Ultimately, Stephens and Dudley received the highest sentence: death, and they were not granted clemency by the Queen of England at that time. Despite their lawyer’s best efforts, he was powerless, arguing that the circumstances faced by the two sailors were unavoidable and asking: “If we were in that situation, would we act like Stephens and Dudley?”
This question quickly became a significant topic of debate among lawmakers worldwide and remains a familiar discussion point for law students globally today.
