When the death penalty was abolished in 1964/5, it was indicated to a doubting public that 'life would mean life' - so therefore, apart from the hideous amounts of expense incurred, what was there for us to worry about?My father, always wise in such matters, retorted "There will always be 'do-gooders' working to get them released and this will never happen."
He lived long enough to see the grand total of two dozen out of a 'lifer' population of 3,600 (+ the thousands already released) be given a 'whole of life tariff'.
With over 800 life sentences being imposed annually - all we have to do is divide this figure into the number of 'lifers' imprisoned.
This reveals that a so-called life sentence averages out to a hefty four and a half years! - NO, HONESTLY!
Against this backcloth, we now see that The Yorkshire Ripper, the heinous Peter Sutcliffe, has one such agitating for his release:
"He is being represented by a female lawyer, who argues that the Home Office disregarded his human rights because it failed to fix a tariff for his sentence.
Saimo Chahal believes the serial killer, now 61, who smashed his victims over the head before mutilating them, has been misrepresented."
Saimo Chahal believes the serial killer, now 61, who smashed his victims over the head before mutilating them, has been misrepresented."
So. Not only was Dad spot on, but now we have the added complication of The European Human Rights Act which works merrily in favour of such people - blithely considering their rights ahead of gruesomely murdered victims.
We saw precisely the same scenario enacted when that lovely but sadly misguided 'liberal christian' Frank Packenham (Lord Longford) spent years trying to get the Moors Murderess, the egregious Myra Hindley, released which would easily have been the greatest travesty of justice in my lifetime.
Released 'lifers' kill at the rate of one per fortnight and yet the morally flabby concern themselves only with the terrible thought that an innocent might be executed once every decade or so.
Such a situation could not have occurred if Sutcliffe's long-necked remains were dissolving in quicklime in an unmarked prison cemetery.
Where is the balance? Where is the lex talionis - which Jesus clearly stated in Matthew that He had NOT come to overturn?
As a Christian, I am permitted righteous anger as Sutcliffe has not harmed me or mine. My anger is neutral and simply craves that justice be done.
An interesting question. Oscar Wilde stated that: "When a man knows he is going to be hanged in the morning - it concentrates the mind wonderfully."
I would wager that in that scenario, a far greater percentage of people will have made their peace with God than would ever do so during their four and a half years of comfortable incarceration today.
