I was wondering if this would show up, and it has. Right. I shall now probably make a complete, utter, total and complete twerp of myself by attempting to defend paroling them two. Feel free to tell me how much of a callous sod I am for attempting to defend this etc. etc. and rest assured that I won't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys what you all think. So there. Let the argument continue.

1). Re: kill, kill, kill. They will have to live with what they've done for the rest of their lives. I can assure you that the parole board would probably not have even thought about paroling them except unless they thought that T:V no longer presented any threat to anyone. If they put so much as one toe out of line they'll be straight back where they came from.

2). What will happen when they get out: they will have new identities and be rehoused. They will NOT be sitting in prison buying crack and sponging off the taxpayer: due to restrictions they will probably only ever be allowed to spend their lives signing on, doing a job for the benefit of society, and adding to the Exchequer's funds instead of depleting them. Their 'police surveillance' will probably be limited to, at first, a camera car hovering near them, to be slowly scaled back. They probably will have some sort of alert button, but when you consider that football referee Dermot Gallagher has a state-of-the-art system which allows him to push a button and have every copper within five miles converge on his home...

3). To continue: they will never be allowed to leave the country. They will have a banning order imposed on them, keeping them well away from Liverpool. There are quite probably restrictions on any possible employment they might choose to get.

4). What would happen if they were transferred to an adult prison: unless this prison was EXCEPTIIONALLY model, it'd screw them up badly unless they really, really, really (copy + paste 400 times) have an ability to block out an awful lot. Maybe it's easy to block out the suffering of others, but rather a different kettle of fish when it's inflicted on yourself. Finally, and most importantly, everyone would know who they were. The screws, the cons, everyone. They'd be in probably more danger of revenge attacks than if they were released. Plus they would have nowhere to run.

5). And finally...: Thompson and Venables will be living a very difficult life (did I mention they won't be allowed to knowingly have contact with each other?) when they get out. They will be living a life of constant fear and (probably) remorse. They will be scared from the moment they move into their new houses to the moment they die that someone will find them out and start a hate campaign. (No, I wouldn't mind if they came to live on my street. Probably because I wouldn't know) Second (sorry to recycle an old argument), they will be constantly haunted by their memories of the terrible deed they committed. Think about it. Forty years, with only a consicence and fear for company. I'd far sooner die.

Thankyou all for reading, and hopefully taking the time to agree or disagree. It shows that you care. If nobody cared, society would be a lot worse. Like every major issue that people disagree on (ie. all of them) it is vitally important that we show that we care by arguing about it. Once again, thanks.

Zarn"retreating to bomb-proof bunker to await fallout"iwoop


PS: If I missed some things out, put it down to one of two things:

1). I ain't read the Guardian special report yet. :-P

2). It's half past three in the morning. You try being this coherent at half-three AM. ;-)