Weekly Poll: Did Ethiopian act in self-defense fearing gay rape by US diplomat?

(JT) US diplomat and Foreign Service officer Brian Adkins was killed in Addis Ababa by an Ethiopian, identified as Sammy by local media, in February of this year. Mr. Adkins, who worked in the consular section of US embassy in Addis Ababa, was honored by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a ceremony two months ago. The young Sammy pleaded guilty to second degree murder and he was sentenced to 17 years in prison but the family of Brian Adkins in the United States are very disappointed with the court decision. Adkins' father said he was hoping Sammy would get a life sentence. One friend of Adkins called the ruling by Ethiopia's court "a mockery of the principle of justice."

Most Ethiopians also agree that the crime was heinous but some Ethiopians say Sammy did not get a fair trial. They say Sammy should be considered for acquittal because he might have acted in self-defense. After Sammy was arrested, he also told the court that he acted in self-defense fearing gay rape. He reportedly said, "the diplomat violently tried to rape me … that is what pushed me to react in self defense.”

Similar cases worldwide have ended up with different court decisions, usually depending on the gender and the race of the suspect as well as on the conservative level of the country and jury. In some cases, suspects have been sentenced to life in prison or faced the death penalty. In other cases like the recent trial of Joseph Biedermann, the killer was acquitted and set free after he used the "Gay Panic Defense." Joseph killed his neighbor Terrance Michael Hauser by stabbing him 61 times in the United States. But Joseph said the victim made sexual advances on him and he simply defended himself from a homosexual attack.

For some Ethiopians, Sammy should also be set free while others think he deserves longer prison sentence for killing the US diplomat. Ethiopia is one of the most conservative countries in the world where homosexuality is frowned upon. Some Ethiopians say homosexuality is a "white disease" and the Ethiopian law states homosexual activity is illegal and can result in up to three years in prison. According to local media, the 25-year-old Adkins was found half-naked in his Addis Ababa well-guarded compound. Before Sammy run away from the crime scene, he also reportedly wrote and left a note accusing Brian Adkins of trying to rape him. Unconfirmed reports say Sammy attempted to report Adkins to the police for trying to rape him but he tried to flee away instead, leaving the note in the house.

Do you believe Sammy's story of acting in self-defense?

Have your say and VOTE

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED - FINAL RESULTS

- 54% Said "Yes and Sammy should be set free"

- 27% Said "No, Sammy deserved life in prison"

- 20% Said " Not sure, the court's ruling was correct"