Thursday 11 March 2010

More on Venables, F*ckbook and David Calvert

Good morning www. This post is a day late but after logging onto F*ckbook this morning to check my messages, I noticed that one of my 'friends' Mr Lit. who is particularly interested in law and criminal justice had created a group to entice crazy Venables hunters and then changed the name of the group. It was a joke but was shocking that it attracted 54 angry members, trying to take justice into their own hands. Sad. Good on him for doing so...hope he didn't get into trouble!

I write this post in response to a news story of David Calvert, who is being targeted by members of the public who are accusing him of being Venables. A series of Facebook groups had been set up to name him as Venables and launch abuse at him. How stupid can people be? It is widely reported that Venables (whatever his new identity) is in prison, therefore how can Calvert be Venables? It just seems that logic, common sense and all that goes with it have gone out of the window in this case.

However, there is a more serious underlying message to all of this. Should Venables' anonymity be upheld at the risk of innocent people being under threat? Clearly Calvert is worried for his safety and that of his children. So is keeping Venables' identity out of the public domain more important than the safety of a family who has (supposedly) nothing to do with proceedings?

I personally believe that without putting Venables and the fairness of future proceedings at risk, as Calvert says here perhaps a statement that he is not Venables would be a start. Simplistic in my explanation I realise but I really do think that this might be necessary to prevent a full blown 'witchhunt'. However, how do you protect against pure stupidity?

*tumbleweed rolls past*

So today, I feel exhausted for some unknown reason. I haven't been working or doing any exercise. Hmm...

Till next post,

Stay legal

CBC

xx

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