Long time readers may recall this story from 2011. Now there's a follow up:
An ex-policeman whose 16-year-old daughter was fatally stabbed through the skull by a teenager using a steel comb says he is horrified that she could be free in weeks.
Rebecca Douglas was aged just 15 when she was dubbed the 'afro comb killer' after brutally attacking rival Julie Sheriff, but now MailOnline has learned her case has been referred to the Parole Board.
Reader, you know you've been blogging for a long time when killers you commented on are up for review!
A spokesperson for The Parole Board said: 'The parole review of Rebecca Douglas has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes.'
I'm sure it is. But isn't that the problem?
'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact on the victims.'
Well, she won't have stabbed anyone else while behind bars, but isn't that more lack of opportunity..?
"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what [unmanageable] risk a prisoner could represent to the public"
ReplyDeleteLovely! No notion that maybe imprisonment might be the punishment of the scrote for murder. If the Parole Board's decisions are purely based on subsequent risk to the public then why imprison in the first place since in my experience the authorities will almost always claim that risk can be managed.
Surely, the sentence given in court should be the minimum sentence for the crime. Thus good behaviour lets the criminal out at the end of his sentence: bad behaviour means that he's in for longer. Why should the public shoulder any risk from the criminal while he's under sentence?
"No notion that maybe imprisonment might be the punishment of the scrote for murder."
ReplyDeleteWell, quite! Shouldn't that be the first thing they consider, since all else would stem from that?
But then I consider the sort of people likely to have infiltrated the board...