CLASSWORK

Consider in each of the following sets of facts whether X's act is the cause of Y's death:

(a) Y feels depressed and threatens to commit suicide. X,who harbours a grudge against Y, hands her a loaded firearm, stating she may shoot and kill herself if she so wishes.Y takes the firearm and shoots and kills herself.

(b) X,who is very poor, reads a newspaper report about a man who had been caught by a crocodile in a river in Botswana.She persuades her uncleY,who is very rich andwhose heir she is,to go on a safari toBotswana.She also encourages her uncle to take a boat trip on the river,hoping that he will be killed by a crocodile.Yundertakes the safari.He also goes out on a canoe on the river. The canoe is,unexpectedly,overturned by a hippo.Y falls into the water. A crocodile catches and kills him.

(c) X tries to stab Y, intending to murder her. Y ducks and receives only a minor cut on the arm. However, infection sets in and Y visits a doctor.The doctor gives her an injection and tells her to comeback the followingweek for twomore injections.The doctor warnsY that shemay die if she fails to come back for the other two injections.Y fails to go back to the doctor, reasoning that her body is strong enough to fight the infection. She dies as a result of the infection.

(d) X shootsYin the chest,intending tomurder her.The bullet wound is of such a serious nature that Y will die if she does not receive medical treatment. Y is admitted to hospital, but because the nursing staff is on a general strike she receives inadequate medical treatment. The wound be-comes infected. Although she is eventually treated for the infection, she dies after a period of two weeks.