10 Powerful People Who Got Away With Horrific Crimes

10 Powerful People Who Got Away with Horrific Crimes

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at powerful and influential figures who got away with committing awful acts of evil.

Jimmy Savile

Considered one of the most beloved celebrities in Britain, the extent of Jimmy Saviles crimes didnt come to light until after he had passed away. His celebrity status and charitable work created a protective public image that shielded him from allegations of sexual misbehavior, however serious they were. Organizations including the BBC and NHS hospitals failed to properly investigate reports of inappropriate behavior, often dismissing the allegations without conducting follow-ups. These protections allowed Savile to become one of the most prolific sex offenders in British history, with police identifying over 400 victims over a period of five decades. Tragically, Savile died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 84, having completely gotten away with his rampant abuse.

Ted Kennedy

Its amazing what being rich and powerful can get you. On July 18, 1969, Senator Ted Kennedy was driving on Chappaquiddick Island with 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne when he accidentally drove his car off a bridge. The car overturned in the water, trapping and slowly killing Kopechne. Kennedy walked away from the scene, and it wasnt until ten hours had elapsed that he contacted the authorities. During this time, Kennedy returned to his hotel, consulted with his personal and legal advisors, and appeared publicly as if nothing had happened. This type of incident would usually involve felony charges and substantial prison time. Instead, Kennedy was given a suspended sentence and probation, with analysts blaming the light sentence on his wealth and political privilege.

John Ruffo

One of the largest bank fraud schemes in American history was orchestrated by business executive John Ruffo. And he completely got away with it. Well, sorta. Through an elaborate financial conspiracy, Ruffo defrauded the United States and foreign banks of millions of dollars. He was eventually caught in 1996 and faced a 150-count indictment, with charges including fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to seventeen years in prison. He was ordered to turn himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service on November 9, 1998, but he never showed up. Ruffo bailed and fled the country, his abandoned car found at JFK Airport. He never served a day in prison and remains at large.

Sao Boonwaat

Diplomatic immunity provides foreign diplomats with legal protection from prosecution and civil lawsuits in their host countries. And one of the most notorious examples is that of Sao Boonwaat, who served as the Burmese Ambassador to Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka. Owing to significant gaps in documentation, the exact details of the crime are not known and may be embellished. But according to reports, Boonwaat shot and killed his wife over an alleged affair inside their diplomatic residence. Sri Lankan police were legally prevented from intervening or entering the compound, and Boonwaat fled the country just a few days later. There is no official record that a trial ever took place back in Myanmar, which suggests that Boonwaat got away with the crime.

Roman Polanski

A powerful figure in Hollywood, Roman Polanski was an Oscar-nominated director behind acclaimed movies like Rosemarys Baby and Chinatown. His career should have ended in 1977, when he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Polanski had initially been charged with multiple serious offenses, but he struck a plea agreement that would have resulted in time served plus probation. However, Polanski learned that a judge was likely going to impose a harsher sentence, likely sending him to state prison. So he fled to France and has never returned. Not only has he lived the rest of his life as a fugitive, but he continued to be awarded by Hollywood, even winning the Best Director Oscar in 2003 for The Pianist.

Karl Malone

Considered one of the best basketball players of the 90s, Karl Malone was a fourteen-time All Star and two-time MVP. He was clearly very talented, and the parents of Gloria Bell knew it. Back in 1983, Malone was 20 years old and playing for Louisiana Tech. It was during this period that he impregnated 13-year-old Gloria Bell. This constitutes carnal knowledge of a juvenile under Louisiana law and could have seen Malone fined significant money and imprisoned for up to ten years. However, Bells family declined to press charges. So Malone walked free, enjoyed a prosperous career in the NBA, and even received a statue outside of Louisiana Tech and the Delta Center.

Wernher von Braun

Operation Paperclip is a controversial program which saw Nazi scientists coming to America after World War II. And few benefitted more than Wernher von Braun. Von Braun was deeply complicit in Nazi war crimes through his work on the V-2 rocket program, which relied heavily on forced labor. An estimated 20,000 prisoners died producing his V-2 rockets under horrific conditions, often succumbing to starvation, disease, and exhaustion. However, the U.S. prioritized his rocket expertise over justice, so they suppressed information about his wartime activities and brought him over to help develop rockets during the Space Race. Von Braun lived comfortably in America and became a celebrity scientist, even receiving the National Medal of Science from President Gerald Ford.

Leopold II of Belgium

One of historys most devastating colonial atrocities was overseen by Leopold II of Belgium, who established the Congo Free State as his personal colony in 1885. The population was forced to harvest rubber and ivory, the depraved system enforced through the likes of systemic mutilation, mass killings, and the deliberate restriction of food. As such, the human cost was staggering, complete with millions of deaths. However, the rubber boom made the Congo enormously valuable, so the regime was basically ignored. Furthermore, there was no international criminal court at the time to handle such crimes. So while he faced criticism in his final years, Leopold was never prosecuted or held legally accountable, and he died in 1909 with a good chunk of his fortune still intact.

Josef Mengele

With the horrifying nickname The Angel of Death, Josef Mengele was one of Nazi Germanys most unhinged officers. Mengele served as the camp doctor at Auschwitz, where he often conducted nightmarish medical experiments on prisoners. These experiments included injecting chemicals into eyes, deliberately infecting people with diseases, and performing surgeries without anesthesia. He also chose who would be sent to the gas chambers, often with an unemotional wave of his hand. Mengele also represents one of the most frustrating failures of post-war justice. He managed to escape the liberation and fled to South America, where he lived comfortably for the rest of his life. Despite decades of international efforts, Mengele was never captured, and he died in 1979 while swimming in Brazil.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953, Joseph Stalin was responsible for some of the 20th centurys most heinous crimes against humanity. His policies led to an infamous famine known as the Holodomor, which led to millions of deaths and which is now considered a genocide. He also oversaw The Great Purge, a systemic effort to eliminate who Stalin perceived as national enemies. Mass executions became routine, and a further one million or so died through executions and forced labor camps. And because Stalin controlled the entire Soviet apparatus, opposition was virtually impossible, and restricted foreign access helped control the flow of information. Stalin died of natural causes in 1953 while still in power, never facing trial or external judgment for his actions.

What do you make of these injustices? Let us know in the comments below!