Mental health experts have warned that livestreaming an execution could cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the viewing public. This follows the US confirming plans to broadcast the death by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who shot dead 13 unarmed soldiers in 2009.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Thursday that Hasan would be executed by firing squad on 3 December. Officials later confirmed the execution would be livestreamed, which is believed to be the first public execution in the US in almost a century.
Dr Simon Duff, a forensic psychologist at the University of Nottingham, noted that while research on the impact of watching executions is limited, studies on journalists witnessing violence suggest a trauma response. He advised that those who are not resilient should likely avoid watching.
Professor Neil Greenberg, from King's College London, suggested that trigger warnings may not prevent distress and could cause anticipatory anxiety. He added that individuals with pre-existing mental health problems may be particularly vulnerable to distress or a deterioration in their mental health.
Historically, public executions were common globally, including in the UK, but were abolished in England and Wales in 1868 due to concerns about their effects on crowds and a lack of deterrent effect. Professor Rosalind Crone, an historian at the Open University, stated that public execution does not work as a deterrent and that video broadcasts could create new problems in managing public reactions.