I don't care how much of a reformed character Chindamo has become - and as a Christian I'm a firm believer in the possibility of redemption - but the bottom line of all this is that Mrs Lawrence should not be expected to live with the thought that her husband's killer is somewhere "out there." If he could not be locked up for life as his appalling crime surely merited, then let him at least be sent somewhere a long way away from the people whose lives he has ruined.
6 comments:
Paul
I agree that's right but I'm also influenced by: the fact he could turn his life around; that he is effectively a 26 yr old Brit now and not Italian who would find it near impossible to survive in a land where he cannot even speak the language. When so many 'rights' clash, it's hard to know where the outlines of genuine justice are.
Currently there are over 2,000 people in US jails who were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for crimes committed before they were 16.
I'm not sure that's a situation I'd like to see replicated here.
So, Paul, what would you do to relieve Mrs Lawrence's concerns? Lock up UK citizens for a longer time than those from abroad? A fine pickle that wqould leave the criminal justice system in before the ECHR.
Chindamo is not on parole... he is serving a life sentence and he is out on license. Any further offences (not murders, but any criminal activity) and he will be returned to prison to finish his sentence.
"the bottom line of all this is that Mrs Lawrence should not be expected to live with the thought that her husband's killer is somewhere "out there.""
Why not? And do you mean just in this case, or in all cases?
I've had a bit of a rant about this already on my blog, so I'll be brief; the justice system isn't here to deliver what Mrs Lawrence or other victims want. What she has been through and is going through is terrible, but the justice system cannot recompense her for it. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and I would have thought that as a religious believer, Paul, you would understand that this is exactly where faith plays a role in helping people deal with the fundamental, painful unfairness of such situations.
Paul, what about the Italians who could have an (effectively) foreign ex-criminal dumped on them?
Imagine if Chindamo had been an Italian 15 year old resident who had spent the first 5 years of his life in the UK, but who didn't speak any English. Imagine that an Italian court had sent him at the end of a murder sentence back to England.
Would you accept this with equanimity?
And assuming that there was similar publicity surrounding the case, how do you think the British redtops would react?
Dear Paul
This is very tRubbling - I find myself agreeing with the sagacious Skipper and the great-hearted Roberto Pipero
I also agree with you - we need to send a clear signal to Murderers/Rapists that their Conduct must have consequences for them, which Society will not Always lean over backwards to mitigate
There seems to be some problem with my Logic Circuits
.... or is it that this is a horrible contradictory mess which would challenge even the Wisdom of the Good Lord
With the abolition of the Death Penalty for Murderers (but NOT for Murder Victims), there are going to be ever greater numbers of Murderers serving Long Sentences in our Jails or on Licence dumped into the Community after Long Sentences
You cannot lock up th Chindamos of this World for ever .... and they must live somewhere .... but I would not him to live in my Neighbourhood
Your obedient servant etc
G Eagle
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