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have we learnt anything

6 replies

mummysontheginalready · 10/01/2025 18:30

firstly we will never stop crimes of course and especially paedophiles but I am thinking of the Moors Murders. True, it is a long time ago but did we learn anything from it?
A while ago I rewatched a programme about Lesley- Anne Downey who was the poor little girl that was recorded being tortured and abused. if you have ever heard that tape you will never forget it. as the little girl pleads for her mother Myra Hindley shouts at her and punishes her further.
the bit I hated was the treatment too of her parents. when they realised Lesley-Anne was late home from the fair they tried to report it but the Police just dismissed them. By the time they took them seriously it was far too late.
There has not been much documented about Lesley-Anne's father at all but there was a step father. it was clear he was a caring man but the Police tried to make out that there was something going on with the step-father and Lesley-Anne such as when he said yes he loved her like his own that was twisted, they came to the home to check as they do accusing him of murdering her and putting her in a cupboard etc.
The mother had to identify the girls body the step father could not and her screams were harrowing when she saw her daughter. also making her see photographs of her daughter being tortured and listening to that awful tape surely to God they would not do that today? that would be awful children who have been raped if the parents had to see that they would never recover as Mrs Downey never did. I understand she is dead now the last time i saw the step father he had Parkinsons type illness and you could see the pain in his eyes of the harrasment he had to put up with .
do people today still know about the Moors Murders? or things like Sidney Cooke, Fred West etc? Surely criminals like this the public must take something from it to keep themselves safe and do the Police learn from it, how they deal with these things red flags etc

OP posts:
Completelyjo · 10/01/2025 18:34

I don’t understand what your point really is about parallels today?
Murders of young girls are overwhelming by fathers or step fathers compared to strangers so it’s right the police looked into him thoroughly as a suspect.
Was she forced to watch the tape or look at photos? I would be surprised if she was forced, even in years gone by. Too what end?
Many times the parents want to know what their child has had to endure.

mummysontheginalready · 10/01/2025 20:04

Yes I realise and agree that the parents would be the first port of call in missing children murders etc but i was making the point I hope these days that Police would these days have learnt ways to put their questions in a less brutal way as it was awful the way they badgered the step father, if you watch the film about Lesley-Anne you will see what the family had to endure on top of the death of their daughter.
The step father wanted to take the burden off his wife but yes she had to look at photos listen to tape etc

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MrsTerryPratchett · 10/01/2025 20:14

The vast majority of times, it's one of the parents, most often the male, often step. 'Brutal' questions are part of investigating.

I don't envy the police in this.

mummysontheginalready · 10/01/2025 20:33

there has to be a way of doing it though not to cause such catastrophic emotional and mental damage. i wondered if now the Police were better trained in perhaps perceiving what is someone displaying behaviour that is maybe suspect and depicting guilty behaviour rather than pursuing innocent people

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MrsTerryPratchett · 10/01/2025 20:39

I do a job where establishing truth is important. 90% ish of people are a piece of piss to read for anyone remotely experienced.

Then there are 10% ish who aren't. And they don't read the same as the others or each other. Whether that's PD, psychoticism, NDs, strange flattened affect, sociopathy, paranoia or delusions, breaks with reality. Some people are incredibly convincing.

You're welcome to train if you think you could do better. But short of being psychic, and even then the ones with delusions would get you, there's no way with some people. I've had people completely totally utterly convinced they didn't do something and I have video. It's so traumatising for THEM, we get them to watch it with a support person.

People are very complex and interesting. And we are trying to fathom the intricacies of the human brain, with a language designed to tell the other monkeys where the fruit is.

mummysontheginalready · 11/01/2025 02:47

Oh no please don't misunderstand me the police n agencies do a wonderful job, I know some swear on their mothers grave innocence when they are not.
Was just making or raising an issue how have things changed for agencies n how has it affected or not just ordinary peoples lives
I used Moors as it had touched my life don't wish to say how as Fred West has just wondered if people now are different as a result of incidents like this.
Plus how Police now deal with this. For instance DV or rape cases etc police are much more emphatic better trained n certainly more hot on these cases.
I do know now police forces do have specialist units for abuse of children crimes which means specialist training rather than one does all policing

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