Coup de grâce
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A coup de grâce (Template:IPAc-en; Script error: No such module "IPA". Template:Lit) is an act of mercy killing in which a mortally wounded person or animal is fatally struck with a melee weapon or shot with a projectile to kill them quickly and end their suffering, with or without their consent. With animals, it may be done by hunters to animals they have shot which have fallen, but which are still alive or by veterinarians to seriously injured animals which are dying or in pain. With humans, it may be done by a firing squad after a volley of shots at a condemned prisoner, or by soldiers in wartime who have captured a seriously wounded enemy soldier (this may be a war crime).
Animal euthanasia
If large animals—such as horses, cattle, and deer are seriously injured, some veterinarians will kill them with firearms. This is a legal animal euthanasia method if performed properly.[1][2] This may be performed by means of shooting the animal in the forehead with the bullet directed down the spine through the medulla oblongata, resulting in instant death.[3] The risks are minimal if carried out by skilled personnel in a suitable location, or by using a captive bolt gun.
Firing squad
With firing squad executions, in the past, after the squad fired, the squad's officer may have shot the prisoner with a pistol or rifle at point blank if the initial volley turns out not to be immediately fatal.
Seriously wounded prisoners of war
There have been cases where soldiers have shot and killed seriously wounded enemy soldiers who they have captured. [4] Their rationale for shooting seriously wounded prisoners of war varies, and may include the desire to end their suffering or revenge. In the 2010s, a soldier giving a coup de grâce to kill an incapacitated or seriously wounded soldier would be a war crime. The laws of war mandate caring for the incapacitated and prohibit mercy killing.[5]
Figurative use
Its meaning has extended to refer to the final event that causes a figurative death or ending.[6][7] For example, if a company is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, if an insolvency administrator hastens the process, in order to make the wind-down more orderly, this action may be figuratively referred to as a "coup de grâce" for the company.
See also
References
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- ↑ Tom J. Doherty, Alex Valverde, Manual of Equine Anaesthesia and Analgesia, Blackwell Publishing 2006 (p. 352)
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- ↑ Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, eds. The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. Template:ISBN p. 119.
- ↑ Charles Harrington Elster. The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations: The Complete Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Template:ISBN pp. 110–111.
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