to not mind a bit that the woman who murdered her 3 children...

[vinegarpuss]

is being targeted by other prisoners.

(Pulling on my hard hat and waiting with trepidation)

I can understand the strength of feeling about this woman's crime - after all any mother, any HUMAN in fact can see the unnatural absolute horror of murdering your children....but I really dislike the idea that its somehow 'right' or justified for this woman to be targeted by other prisoners. The whole point of the justice system is that people are tried and punished fairly and everyone deserves a fair trial - not abuse by unthinking mobs who don't have the full picture or evidence. And by mobs I am referring to the prisoners..and to people on here.

she was held responsible for the killings, she wasn't insane. DR means she IS still responsible.

unfortunately, there are people who kill their children. i think it's actually quite sexist to assume a mother must have been mentally ill to do so. would you say the same about a father who did the same thing?

as for being attacked in prison - the authorities have a duty to protect her, and prisoners like this are usually kept separated from the others.

not that i care what happens to any parent or in fact anyone who kills a child, frankly. you've done the worst thing imaginable. why should anyone, ever, believe you are fit to be part of society again?

You are being unreasonable.

I believe in long sentences, solitary confinement, and putting prisoners to hard labour.

I do not wish to live - as someone upthread said - in an Iran or USA type State: put a pedophile or child killer in solitary confinement; their own mind will make them a prisoner.

(It is quite interesting to see whom has ferverent blood-lust on this thread)

As other posters have pointed out, you don't need to have any sympathy with the woman to see what a bad idea it is that other prisoners (who may well have committed pretty heinous crimes themselves) should be able to feed their own bloodlust and sense of entitlement by attacking her.

no teenswhodhavethem, not you. i meant the background assumption behind the posts that a mother must be mentally ill to harm her child.

MN is full of nobbers atm

So because people think the sentencing is wrong and the criminal has committed a crime which you think is so appalling, we should return to a situation where prison is like the roman gladiator ring and we encourage more crime on fellow prisoners and this is above the law?

If you encourage a culture of violence within prison, then how does that impact on those prisoners on lesser sentences and their rehabilitation into normal society?

And how does this impact on the staff who run the prison and their safety?

Hmm no thanks. Civilisation has thankfully moved on since roman times.

Nobody is encouraging violence in prison!!

Op asked if she was bu to not care about her

I think you should care, as its got wider implications... its NOT just about that woman and her rights. Thats the point.

Agree with LeQueen. There are quite a few mothers who are selfish and vile who would much rather their children weren't there. This is not spoken about in our society but it is definitely there. She was probably mentally disturbed, well I'd like to think that explains what she did, but she might be saying that to get a lesser sentence. She can't be that depressed as she hasn't killed herself whilst in prison. How can she live with herself?

op, YANBU

I hope this woman suffers every day of her life

I agree with NICEy. It is not up to prisoners to "select" targets for punishment. While this woman's crime was distressing and unimaginably horrible, she has been punished by the state by being deprived of her liberty, not by being imprisoned with a self selected lynch mob.

YANBU to not care about her welfare but YABU to condone the attacks in prison. I have read the reports now and she was apparently found to be suffering from multiple personality disorders - not that it particularly mitigates the horror of what she did! - but she should be protected from other prisoners and their own brand of "justice".

Unfortunately the moment this women is 'unprotected' by the state, you have a situation where law has broken down.

Prison officers as guardians of prisoners, could be allowing 'justice' to be handed out (abuse of power) and/or fellow prisoners gain status and authority for being violent.

You should care what happens to this woman as the knock on effects promote more problems in the future. Its not actually about this woman at all. Its about other women also in the same prison, who then end up getting caught up in the climate and acceptance of violence as a way of life, either a victim or a perpetrator.

I think its less about her rights and more about the rights of other prisoners.

Protecting her, ultimately protects others from their own actions and from the actions of others. You can't separate the two within an institution of a prison.

We're a humane society (Well supposed to be) and we should treat prisoners humanely until we furnish the courts with laws to do the contrary.

It wont be long before the "Look what the prisoners are having for xmas dinner" threads will be starting and the bread and water brigade start piping up.

What this woman did was evil and she is being punished.

background article
It sounds as though this woman was unbalanced for quite some time prior to the killings. Unfortunately, it sounds as though her children led very claustrophobic lives and that intervention came too late.
As far as the assault goes, prison is meant to deprive the convicted of liberty, in accordance with the sentence handed down by the courts, and to offer the chance of rehabilitation. It is not meant to be a place of concentrated vigilante justice. Attacks by prisoners on other prisoners should never be tolerated or cheered by the public.

Hmm... I suppose my first post was a little naive. But in my defense - yes, I would say the same about a father killing his children. Although I suppose this is naive too. I guess I just struggle to comprehend how anyone can hurt their own children.

But do I think it is ok that other prisoners are punishing her? No, that is not the system of a civilised society. Will I be losing any sleep over it? Nope.

YANBU to not care what happens to her. Probably unreasonable to say that it is ok that it happens though.

i dont know the state of the womens mind but it's sick thing to do to your children i wont be losing any sleep other her. but maybe the professional people have let her down and hasent got the help she needed.

NICEyNICE Fantastic post.