A newly recruited hangman in Sri Lanka has resigned in shock after being shown the gallows for the first time.
The country has not carried out a judicial execution since 1976 but has over 400 prisoners on death row.
The authorities want to have an executioner ready in case hangings resume.
But three recruits have now abandoned the job within a year after the previous hangman was promoted to become a prison guard.
Commissioner-General of Prisons Chandrarathna Pallegama told the BBC that the new recruit - reported to be 40 and from the town of Anuradhapura - "got shocked and afraid" after seeing the gallows, which came after several days of training.
He had written a letter saying he wanted to resign and had failed to report for training since Monday.
Mr Pallegama said the man would be given one month to consider his decision. If there was no change, fresh applications would be called for through a government gazette.
Gallows humour
Gallows humour
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Gallows humour
From what I have been able to ascertain, Sri Lanka executes people by hanging.
I thought a "judicial execution" was when they kill a judge.
Interesting that it is a PROMOTION to go from executioner to prison guard. Maybe the guys who quit did so because it was a shitty job, and not because they were uncomfortable with the duties.
But I can relate to it - being responsible for something that is essentially never done.
I thought a "judicial execution" was when they kill a judge.
Interesting that it is a PROMOTION to go from executioner to prison guard. Maybe the guys who quit did so because it was a shitty job, and not because they were uncomfortable with the duties.
But I can relate to it - being responsible for something that is essentially never done.