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How can I stop thinking about a distressing news article? *trigger warning*

203 replies

Dontwinfriendswithsalad · 20/04/2026 22:00

I’ve just read a news article about an absolutely horrific case of child abuse by a teacher called Jamie Varley. If you haven’t read anything about it please don’t, as I desperately wish I hadn’t.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can scrub this from my brain or stop thinking about it? I know the world is a cruel place but this is probably one of the worst things I’ve read and I need it out of my head.

OP posts:
MedlarJelly · 23/04/2026 19:56

Pyjamatimenow · 23/04/2026 19:08

My father in law who who be 90 this year worked in prisons. He said they used to leave the cells unlocked for people like these men. You can understand why.

Trouble is there have been miscarriages of justice such as Stefan Kiszko and Timothy Evans.

AccordingToWhom · 23/04/2026 19:59

MedlarJelly · 23/04/2026 19:56

Trouble is there have been miscarriages of justice such as Stefan Kiszko and Timothy Evans.

Has anyone been wrongly convicted for paedophilia? How would that even happen?

Ihateandilove · 23/04/2026 20:03

Just read today the jury has been discharged in this case… no reason given. I agree they both deserve th death penalty for each they did to that poor child so it worries me when something like this happens..

ThatPlumCrow · 23/04/2026 20:27

I've posted before about the glorifying of violence within prisons but I know its boring and it doesnt satisfy the taste for blood but it's a terrible idea. I'm mixed on the death penalty but prison murder isnt it because I have limited faith in how good the people in prison are

Its never for the reasons you hope. When Ian Watkins was killed, I commented on a thread that it would be something petty by another monster. People were celebrating on threads and calling for the murder to get his sentenced reduced or celebrating him, then it turns out it was a drug debt from a bloke who murdered his pregnant partner (irc?)

Its normally over pot noodles, drugs or something else in the prison economy. At best it's some other horrendous person looking to gain fame.

No one person should get to decide who lives or dies especially not prison officers. I've seen prison officers allow people to get hurt for all manor of petty slights and simply because they dont like them. The idea of someone's father in law deciding it makes my blood run cold. Prison officers get easily corrupted by a god complex, I've seen horrendous retaliations for tiny slights, but also officers buddying up with terrible people.

Deciding death penalty by jury or on a state basis is different from dave doing it because a prisoner has looked at him funny

MedlarJelly · 23/04/2026 20:31

AccordingToWhom · 23/04/2026 19:59

Has anyone been wrongly convicted for paedophilia? How would that even happen?

Stefan Kiszko was wrongly convicted of murder of a little girl and semen was on her clothes. This is how he was treated in prison.

How can I stop thinking about a distressing news article? *trigger warning*
EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 23/04/2026 20:37

youseeihavetoNC · 23/04/2026 19:40

I don’t need or want my feelings noted; I’m not in therapy Confused

You are very keen for your feelings to be heard on this thread. We have heard them.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 23/04/2026 20:41

ThatPlumCrow · 23/04/2026 20:27

I've posted before about the glorifying of violence within prisons but I know its boring and it doesnt satisfy the taste for blood but it's a terrible idea. I'm mixed on the death penalty but prison murder isnt it because I have limited faith in how good the people in prison are

Its never for the reasons you hope. When Ian Watkins was killed, I commented on a thread that it would be something petty by another monster. People were celebrating on threads and calling for the murder to get his sentenced reduced or celebrating him, then it turns out it was a drug debt from a bloke who murdered his pregnant partner (irc?)

Its normally over pot noodles, drugs or something else in the prison economy. At best it's some other horrendous person looking to gain fame.

No one person should get to decide who lives or dies especially not prison officers. I've seen prison officers allow people to get hurt for all manor of petty slights and simply because they dont like them. The idea of someone's father in law deciding it makes my blood run cold. Prison officers get easily corrupted by a god complex, I've seen horrendous retaliations for tiny slights, but also officers buddying up with terrible people.

Deciding death penalty by jury or on a state basis is different from dave doing it because a prisoner has looked at him funny

Edited

I think the need for vengeance is a natural reaction, particularly when the state is so soft on crime. You can dislike that feeling in yourself and you can have a distaste for that feeling in others, but your dislike won’t change people’s want for the perpetrator of the worst crimes known to humanity to suffer in the same way that their victims did.

youseeihavetoNC · 23/04/2026 20:41

I really don’t want a thread about the murder of a baby ti to be taken over with stupid posts repeating ‘we hear you.’ It is adding nothing to the thread at all and it’s an attempt to shut me up. The only one desperate to be heard here is you.

Hallamule · 23/04/2026 20:50

AccordingToWhom · 23/04/2026 19:59

Has anyone been wrongly convicted for paedophilia? How would that even happen?

Why would it be so unlikely? People get wrongly convicted of all sort of things - look at Andrew Malkin - served 17 years for a rape he didn't commit, convicted because the victim wrongly identified him as her rapist. If he'd been murdered in prison no one would ever have known he was wrongly convicted and the actual rapist would never have been found but many of the posters on this thread would no doubt have considered it a great outcome.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 23/04/2026 21:03

youseeihavetoNC · 23/04/2026 20:41

I really don’t want a thread about the murder of a baby ti to be taken over with stupid posts repeating ‘we hear you.’ It is adding nothing to the thread at all and it’s an attempt to shut me up. The only one desperate to be heard here is you.

Edited

And yet here you are talking about yourself again.

AccordingToWhom · 23/04/2026 21:03

There's no doubt in this particular case though is there? Because the bastard took photos and videos. A lot of them do.

I think it's just a natural way of channelling our anger and disgust and not entirely 'serious'. I didn't celebrate when the other monsters were killed in prison, but I wasn't sad that they died and I won't give a second thought to violence meted out on people like them; why should I?

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 23/04/2026 21:06

I was delighted when Ian Huntley died and even more happy when that Lost Prophets bastard was gone. It annoys me when people post ‘not every hero wears capes’ though as invariably we find out that the prisoner that killed was also a fucking lunatic.

NeelyOHara · 24/04/2026 06:40

AccordingToWhom · 23/04/2026 21:03

There's no doubt in this particular case though is there? Because the bastard took photos and videos. A lot of them do.

I think it's just a natural way of channelling our anger and disgust and not entirely 'serious'. I didn't celebrate when the other monsters were killed in prison, but I wasn't sad that they died and I won't give a second thought to violence meted out on people like them; why should I?

Yeah, I’m tired and the country is skint so I’m out of fucks I’m afraid.
I don’t care if they die by lethal injection or Dave from block D. Same result, and they can’t rape and murder anymore children on their inevitable release.
Sorry not sorry.

Thepossibility · 24/04/2026 07:17

Same here. It kept popping in my head while I was trying to meditate. Utterly horrific.

Parsley4321 · 24/04/2026 07:55

It is quite unbelievable that anyone would go through the stress and intrusive nature of adopting a beautiful child then within three months dead from abuse and sexual assault. Also these freaks really make it easy for a conviction documented pictures videos all there to be seen and not just these latest ones. Star Hobson Arther Labinjo Hughes and in those cases as this one another freak going along with the abuse.
I’m out of fucks too who cares if they die 🤷‍♀️ Why was the jury dismissed yesterday ?

GimmieABreakOr3 · 24/04/2026 08:00

Why were two men allowed to adopt a 9 month old baby?

JumpLeadsForTwo · 24/04/2026 08:20

garlicandsapphires · 21/04/2026 13:53

Apologies for the derail but how does the sourness work?

Sour sweets can work for panic attacks as well

Boomer55 · 24/04/2026 08:28

I used to work in a child protection department, and realised that adults sometimes abuse children, all ages, in so many different ways.

It wasn’t just men - women sometimes colluded or joined in.

It’s a sad world at times. 🙁

MedlarJelly · 24/04/2026 08:33

AccordingToWhom · 23/04/2026 21:03

There's no doubt in this particular case though is there? Because the bastard took photos and videos. A lot of them do.

I think it's just a natural way of channelling our anger and disgust and not entirely 'serious'. I didn't celebrate when the other monsters were killed in prison, but I wasn't sad that they died and I won't give a second thought to violence meted out on people like them; why should I?

I was replying to the person whose FIL left the doors open of some prisoners in the past, not talking about this case. Pointing out there had been wrongly convicted people attacked in prison.

Lougle · 24/04/2026 08:37

The jury has been discharged due to legal reasons, so a new trial will start on Monday.

floppybit · 24/04/2026 11:06

Burgerqueenbee · 21/04/2026 09:38

Op I haven't read the details of this case (but am aware of it) but I had a similar experience when I read a lengthy piece about a big group of people who were paying people in other countries to abuse/kill little monkeys, I couldn't stop thinking about it for months. It helped a bit to acknowledge my horror/sadness/anger about it each time, and then try to not dwell on it and think about something else. Eventually it became less frequent but I do still think about it from time to time.

Yes @BurgerqueenbeeI was absolutely traumatised by this case. It really made me think about how on earth can it be possible for something to absolutely horrifying for one person yet be enjoyable to another, how can we both be human!!

BinNightTonight · 24/04/2026 12:59

This case has also stuck with me, I have a little boy a similar age. That poor, poor little boy. Absolutely abhorrent.

GimmieABreakOr3 · 25/04/2026 07:36

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 23/04/2026 20:37

You are very keen for your feelings to be heard on this thread. We have heard them.

So patronising

Pyjamatimenow · 06/05/2026 13:32

Has anyone read the live evidence feed on this? I can’t work out what’s gone on. The evidence given about when they actually got to the hospital is shocking, the poor little thing wasn’t even put on a trolley straight away. It sounds like they tried to resuscitate him initially on a desk because they were so busy. Blackpool vic is our local hospital and it’s terrifying to think of.

BunnyWabbit2000 · 06/05/2026 21:17

The video of him at the hospital is awful. Those poor nurses. I hope they both rot.