The ‘Dance of Shame’ and the Dangerous Entertainment of Suspected Criminals

Opinion: The ‘Dance of Shame’ and the Dangerous Entertainment of Suspected Criminals

A video shared by Vanguard Newspapers was captioned: “Dance of Shame: When suspected thieves become social media content.”

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The caption raises an important question about the kind of society social media is helping us to build. At a time when almost every incident can be recorded and uploaded online within minutes, the treatment of people accused or suspected of crimes has increasingly become a source of public entertainment.

Across social media, videos of suspected thieves being beaten, humiliated, forced to dance, stripped or publicly mocked often generate thousands of views, comments and shares. For many viewers, such scenes provide entertainment. Some even celebrate the humiliation, believing it serves as punishment or a warning to others.
But we must pause and ask: When did public humiliation become entertainment, and when did social media become a courtroom?

The most important word in such cases is “suspected.” A suspect is not automatically a criminal. Under the principle of justice, every accused person deserves to be investigated and given the opportunity to defend themselves through lawful procedures. Turning a suspect into social media content before the facts are properly established can destroy a person’s reputation permanently even where the person is later found innocent.

There is also the issue of human dignity. Crime should certainly not be encouraged or excused, and criminals should face the consequences of their actions. However, punishment should be determined by the law, not by an angry crowd looking for content to post online.

Unfortunately, the search for viral videos is gradually making serious incidents look like entertainment. Instead of reporting suspects to law enforcement authorities, some people first reach for their phones. The priority appears to shift from ensuring justice to capturing the most dramatic video.
This is dangerous.

Public humiliation can easily escalate into mob action, physical assault and even death. History has shown that crowds can make terrible mistakes, especially when emotions are high and facts are unclear. An innocent person can be wrongly accused and subjected to humiliation that can never truly be undone even after the truth emerges.

Social media platforms have also made such incidents permanent. A video recorded for a few minutes can remain online for years, circulating across different platforms and reaching millions of people. For the individual involved and their family, the consequences can be devastating.

The fight against crime must remain firm, but it must also remain lawful and humane. Nigeria does not need a culture where suspects are publicly disgraced for likes, views and shares. We need a society where suspected offenders are handed over to the appropriate authorities, investigated properly and prosecuted where there is sufficient evidence.

The so-called “dance of shame” may attract attention online today, but the bigger issue should concern everyone: Are we promoting justice, or are we simply turning human humiliation into entertainment?

A society that truly wants justice must remember that fighting crime and protecting human dignity should not be mutually exclusive. The moment we abandon due process and turn accusations into viral entertainment, we risk creating a system where anyone could become the next victim of public judgment.