A fugitive is a fugitive.
Fugitive is a concept that is used to name the subject who is escaping or fleeing and, in this way, avoids complying with any legal obligation. For example: “The judge has already issued the arrest warrant against the former official, who is still at large,” “Three men remain at large after the attack on the embassy,” “The young woman's murderer was on the run for five months before being caught by the police.”
In Latin is where we find the etymological origin of the term that concerns us now. Specifically, it derives from profugus , which can be translated as “he who flees from justice.” It is a Latin word that is the result of the sum of two different parts:
- The prefix pro- , which is equivalent to “forward” .
- The verb fugare , which is synonymous with “to flee” .
The conduct of the fugitive
Prófugo can be used as a synonym for fugitive . If an authority requires that a person appear before an agency and the individual does not respond to the call, he or she will be considered a fugitive. Depending on the situation in question, different punishments may be prescribed against the subject and he or she may be brought before the agency by force.
A court may require a man to come to court to give evidence. The magistrates intend to determine if the individual was a witness to a crime or if he had any participation in it. The man, however, never appears in court. In this way, after several unanswered calls, the judges consider that the person is a fugitive and order the police to act to find the individual.
In countries that have compulsory military service , if a subject escapes from conscription he will become a fugitive. Therefore, he may be punished according to what is established by law .
It is important to keep in mind, therefore, that the fugitive's conduct constitutes a crime . What the fugitive does is disobey a law, developing a specific action to not comply with it.
Anyone who escapes from prison or fails to comply with a court order becomes a fugitive.
historical figures
Throughout history there have been many fugitives, among which are the following:
- The famous mobster Al Capone .
- The terrorist Osama Bin Laden , who was wanted for years until he was finally killed in his hideout at the hands of the US military.
- The well-known bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde , who were wanted by justice until the police managed to find their whereabouts and ended up killing them in 1934 .
- The assassin of Abraham Lincoln , who was on the run for twelve days until he was killed.
Fugitives in fiction
The world of literature, television and cinema are full of stories about fictional fugitives. This would be the case, for example, of the film “The Fugitive” , starring Harrison Ford , which revolves around a respectable doctor who is accused of the death of his wife.
All the clues establish that he is the culprit, and although he categorically denies it, the judge ends up sentencing him to capital punishment. However, he finds the perfect way to prove his innocence when, due to an accident, he manages to escape from prison and takes advantage of his time to find the real culprit, while at the same time having to avoid being caught.