Murderer Can't Be Named For Legal Reasons ......

[saintpeter48]

Can someone with a legal background throw some light on this please?
A teenager murders a 7 year old girl in cold blood, the 7 year old girl is named, the family is named, the whole terrible incident is described on the news and front pages, yet the murderer cannot be named for legal reasons, whats all that about?
Can someone please explain it to me, no doubt she will plead insane, or something similar, and be out in a few years with a new identity, new home, protection etc, to lead her life whilst the victims family are just left to get on with it!!

[emeritus]

No Proving to be done Andres. She has pleaded guilty to Manslaughter, and that has been accepted by the prosecution. Just sentencing to be carried out now

[Peter Pedant]

// Or maybe the question is about judges' decisions after all. What criteria do they use ?//

it is called reading a law degree - finding out the criteria judges use.
Takes about three years.

actually a v good ref has been given by jth and St P said - he couldnt be arted to read it all.

In terms of alternative verdicts there is case law on that ( see above that law degree fing) - the judge can - but doesnt have to - offer alternative verdicts

[EDDIE51]

andres, A person can not be just locked because they have mental problems! You seem to be asking for a return to 100 years ago when it just needed a doctor to sign a form to have someone locked into a mental hospital for years.

[andres]

Eddie. I was not saying that she should be put away for life . There are secure places where she could have been receiving treatment . She should not have been left on her own. This was a crime that could possibly have been prevented.

[hereIam]

I totally agree with you 100% sp48, very frustrating isn't it ??

[EDDIE51]

andres, You are saying that mental disability should be treated differently from other forms of disability. We do not lock up people who have others forms of disability.
There are a huge number of people who are extremely violent and dangerous yet are 100% sane. What criteria do you use for 'locking people up'?
A violent yet sane person could commit an act of violent assault and get just 2 years in prison, yet you say someone who is judged 'mentally ill ' should be locked up for life even if they have never committed a crime???

[New Judge]

"If she was so badly affected mentally then how did she have the capacity to know how to plea manslaughter when she had obviously commited cold blooded murder."

I might be taking a stab in the dark here, but I would hazard a guess that she (and her parents) received legal advice. A bit inconvenient, I know, but the law allows that too.