Revenge Murder?

[yuna1971]

Many of us remember the murder of james like it was yesterday. I certainly do, watched many documentaries on it as well. This child was 3 years old and the 2 "boys" knew perfectly well what they were doing (seen documentaries about this), despite their age. They got off lightly in my opinion. They tortured James before actually killing him and then left his body on a train track to be severed in half by a train. Torture - means you have intent on killing, as in - the final blow.
They've had more of life than what they let James have - and since most was in juve and not an adult prison and that they had some nice priveliges means that was not exactly hard time.
The thing is people don't forget. The person - if this story is true, who killed Venables more than likely was just an average Joe. Probably never got in trouble with the law (just opinion, not facts here), just someone next door. Probably never forgot James, saw Venables - knew it was him (there were reports Venables didn't keep his identity a secret) and wanted justice. Be it 20 years, 30 years later - doesn't matter. People don't forget crimes like that, that are so horrific. My opinion hasn't changed.
Sorry but I'm glad if Venables is dead. He had more of life than James. Sorry if that's not agreeing with some but that's my own thoughts on it, although I respect others views on same. xx

[Pussygalore]

If its an adult that commits murder etc then I have no problem with the death penalty I do however have a problem with making someone wait years before its carried out and I doubt if anyone would agree to killing a child. Therefore would it have been ok had the two CHILDREN who committed this horrible crime had to serve 8 years or so in prison waiting to be old enough then be executed. If the death penaulty is given then it should be carried out within a few weeks and it would only be for those cases which were 100% certain. As for being born 'bad' you are talking about people born with a mental problem I'm talking about the average baby who learns from it peers what is right and wrong which is probably 99% of all.

[Catwoman63]

Originally Posted by pagan queen

If a murderer faced the death penalty they would die humanely, painlessly. Their victim was not afforded that privilege and in most cases were innocent. The death of a murderer is not the same as that of an innocent. What right does someone who has taken an innocent life have to live out their life in relative comfort at the expense of tax paying decent citizens? If they saw fit to remove someone's right to life why should they have that right? If the death penalty was in existence in this country the person responsible for the alleged death of Venables would still be free.

Totally agree Wendy, I feel the same, and no one knows what it feels like unless they have been/or has a family member go through such a disgusting experience as torture or sexual abuse as a child especially a 2 year old, if it happened to my son when he was 2 I would think nothing of chopping of ........and sticking large objects up their ......... And scum like that don't deserve the comforts of life x

[yuna1971]

I will say I wouldn't go as far as the death penalty. They should have kept the sentence as "at Her Majesty's Pleasure". 8 years just was not enough IMHO. xx

[yuna1971]

Just to also say - it's good we are all here! Been a while hasn't it ! xx

[emma_mcraf]

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

If its an adult that commits murder etc then I have no problem with the death penalty I do however have a problem with making someone wait years before its carried out and I doubt if anyone would agree to killing a child. Therefore would it have been ok had the two CHILDREN who committed this horrible crime had to serve 8 years or so in prison waiting to be old enough then be executed. If the death penaulty is given then it should be carried out within a few weeks and it would only be for those cases which were 100% certain. As for being born 'bad' you are talking about people born with a mental problem I'm talking about the average baby who learns from it peers what is right and wrong which is probably 99% of all.

This thread lost its way a little as the execution of children doesn't have any relevance at all to it. The murderers of Jamie Bulger are now grown men and they have been given many chances to start life anew.
I agree with Rach in that both boys had far more in a juvenile detention centre than James ever had.

In my mind all paedophiles and child murderers should be put on an island and bombed. They are the scum of the earth and don't deserve a life. I don't agree that they should have any human rights at all. Chemical castration apparently violates their human rights. Somewhere the law is wrong here. Bev is right. A taste of their own medicine would be exactly what families of the abused would be all too willing to carry out.
Venables is/was a paedophile. He didn't deserve to have chance after chance. As Rach says, a lot of people won't forget this crime and retribution in this instance doesn't sit heavily on my shoulders. One less paedophile on the earth can only be a good thing.

Everyone has a right to comment on this and being a parent makes no difference Merlin. It just makes you see things from a maternal perspective more. Believe me, you don't know how viciously a woman would protect her children from the likes of this man and other scum that walk the earth. You have your opinion, which is fine. It is always good to have a healthy debate.

[Merlin M]

I agree Rach, 8 years was too lenient.

I will never ever agree with the death penalty, murder is murder state sanctioned or not!

And Wendy no my comment about my comments seeming less valid as I don't have children was not a low blow, my comments constantly coming back with 'if my child' is unfair too as you all know I don't have children so can't really respond to that.

I actually dont remember Jamie Burgers murder, I was a child at the time.

The thing is with Jon Venables you can only comment in so far as you have seen in the media, none of you know him only what he did. To me what I have seem shows someone who needed help, he was messed up!

But maybe that was my upbringing I was thought to forgive. That murder is always wrong. That it is not our place to judge, there is a criminal justice system to do that but I was taught (whether others agree or not is irrelevant as I am only stating what I was taught) that only God can truly judge.

You are right though society ever forgets and never forgives. That is wrong.
What right does any member of the public have to kill another? This is the real discussion here, Venables would not have been executed he would have been murdered. That is wrong, morally and legally.
How can one life have more worth than another?
You kill this person you are a horrible person as I am not aware of them doing anything wrong, but this person its ok, I know they did something wrong, they have been punished but I dont think it was enough so you can kill him?

A life is a life we do not have the right to decide who lives and who dies.

Killing someone does not bring back the life they took, it will never fill the hole it left in you heart and life. It just deepens the pain and loss for someone else.

[Suze65]

The death penalty should never be brought back for one simple reason, mistakes have been made in the past, people have been hanged and years later, cleared of the crime. You can set someone free, if they are innocent , but you can't bring them back to life. In no way suggesting this is so with Venables, he did do the crime. But he should never have been set free.

[becciwales]

I agree with both sides of this debate.
I don't think either side is wrong, I'm not a mother either and we can't possibly understand the protection instinct within that bond.
I know what I've read and seen but I too was just a child so don't remember it happening.
Society does not forgive heinous crimes, nor should they. At 10 years old you know better than to do that to someone or something.
Rach is spot on, 8 years in juvey is not enough. He clearly did not learn his lesson, he constantly leaked his identity, why would one do that? Surely he must have realised he was asking for trouble or was he proud of what he did?

[becciwales]

Originally Posted by Suze65

The death penalty should never be brought back for one simple reason, mistakes have been made in the past, people have been hanged and years later, cleared of the crime. You can set someone free, if they are innocent , but you can't bring them back to life. In no way suggesting this is so with Venables, he did do the crime. But he should never have been set free.

No, he shouldn't have! He should have been in solitary confinement for the rest of his life.
You cannot rehabilitate that!
Bringing back the death penalty would be a bad idea, for exactly those reasons. Mistakes happen.