I hardly think stating a fact is splitting hairs......in the case of the French girl I believe she was ripped to her tits on drugs and her dog was trying to wake her by pawing at her face - if this were to happen repeatedly I can see how claws and rough pads would eventually mess with her face. If I have mis-remembered this particular instance I am of course happy to be corrected.
As far as dogs generally and this case in particular are concerned I do not think people should automatically be given the right to own a dog - the owner, not the dog, should be licensed: yes I know this will bring about yet another beurocratic department to police it, and I know it is not a panacea, but it will help. Yes, It Will.
Secondly, Pit Bulls, Staffs, English Bull Terriers, the Huuuuge Jap one, the Argentine one....basically the real dangerous breeds should be culled, and it should be made illegal to breed them or cross breed them. A drastic measure, granted, but how many more kids need to be killed or maimed before somthing drastic happens.
I think it is fair comment that chavs tend to have the Pit Bulls and Staffs because they mistakenly believe it makes their otherwise sad meaningless worthless selves look 'Hard' - you only have to look at the owner of the dog in the current tragedy to see this - and as chavs don't have the wit to give a tinker's cuss about anybody but themselves how the hell are they meant to look after an animal, a dangerous animal at that.
Desperate measures are called for before something like this happens again.