I don't think that this story involves justice. It concerns the lowest type of human behaviour rationalised as justice. It is very human to rationalise all kinds of cruelty as being "justice" or "in the interests of the rest of society" or whatever. It is particularly likely to happen when we ignore our natural compassion and kindness and suppress it in favour of bogus "morality". And yes, I agree that it is far more likely to happen in a failed state.