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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think that the parents of a battered one month old baby should NOT be out on bail? *Warning: distressing news story*

68 replies

BoysBoysBoysAndMe · 05/12/2011 09:49

I've just read the horrific story of the battered and allegedly sexually assaulted baby boy in Kent.

I won't go into detail as it is horrific.

But his Parents are out on bail!!! Shock

What is wrong with the justice system ffs? His injuries are horrific, if God forbid, anything like that happened to my children I wouldn't even bother with the police. Not after these dregs of society have been let out on bail.

String them up I say.

OP posts:
aldiwhore · 05/12/2011 09:54

If they haven't been convicted they are innocent. If the CPS feel they're a danger to others, they would not get bail.

I agree with how shocking it is. I also personally think they're guilty. But there's always the chance they're not so I hope the justice system serves us by bringing this case to court swiftly and correctly.

There must be a reason they're out on bail.

I'm not a fan of lynching people without fair trial.

ChristinedePizanne · 05/12/2011 09:54

Presumably they haven't actually been convicted? You really ought to educate yourself on how the justice system works. We practice a system known as 'innocent until proven guilty' which does not assume guilt until due legal process has taken place.

What you're proposing could lead to all kinds of miscarriage of justice.

ElizabethPonsonby · 05/12/2011 09:55

yes, vigilantism is the way forward isn't it. Stuff due process and the law.

Hmm
Bloodymary · 05/12/2011 09:55

I read about it online yesterday and it made me feel sick. Sad

At first I was outraged that they were out on bail, in fact I still am, but apparently there is some sort of online campaign to find out who they are and name them.
So I imagine they will pretty soon be begging to be locked up for their own protection.

Good, they are fucking scum.

porcamiseria · 05/12/2011 09:55

Its horrible but I think alot of rumour about this. I very much doubt they would have been bailed had the stories been true

porcamiseria · 05/12/2011 09:57

and with child abude we dont even need vigilantism, they get fucked over in Jail

fucking hope story is NOT true TBH

MollyTheMole · 05/12/2011 09:57

better they are out on bail, more chance of something nasty happening to them.

GypsyMoth · 05/12/2011 09:58

Oh come on!!

Op, are you really this uneducated? Bail is there for a reason, it's nit taken lightly

GypsyMoth · 05/12/2011 09:58

*not

D0G · 05/12/2011 10:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Winkly · 05/12/2011 10:27

Have they been bailed before or after charge? If they haven't been charged it's because there isn't the evidence to take them to court yet. Medical evidence can take a week or longer and they can only be held without charge for 24 hours in normal circumstances. If this IS the case then there is no other option than to bail.

TheRuderBarracuda · 05/12/2011 10:42

You have to have compelling reasons to refuse a yet to be convicted person of their freedom e.g. danger to themselves, others, likely to abscond etc. So while horrific we can't just imprison ppl who haven't been convicted.

Although tbh I don't have high hopes that even once convicted they won't have minimal prison sentences or suspended sentences etc. which does drive me nuts.

EdithWeston · 05/12/2011 10:45

We don't know enough. It is possible that one or other of them will be completely exonerated, or that there was a third party involved.

Dealing with vigilantes will only divert police time and effort from dealing with the for more important issue of securing the evidence to let charges be brought against the likely perpetrator/s (who should burn in hell).

wannaBe · 05/12/2011 10:50

they haven't been charged with a crime yet.

But let's find out who they are, publish it in the press and track them down and lynch them ey. Because that's the process of justice innit? Hmm

Tbh I'm not even entirely sure why this case is in the news atm. Unfortunately child abuse is not an uncommon finominon, what makes this particular case any different from the hundreds of other cases that come to the attention of the authorities every week...?

If they have harmed this children then they will be brought to justice by the proper means. Assumption of guilt and calls for public vijilantiism is not the way forward or the mark of a civilised society.

OhdearNigel · 05/12/2011 10:51

Winkly has hit the issue on the head. Unless the suspects have been charged they cannot be remanded. A murder suspect has to be released on bail until the point that they are charged.
I would imagine that there are some extremely restrictive bail conditions in place to ensure that they do not flee.

OhdearNigel · 05/12/2011 10:52

And if they are charged I cannot imagine any circumstances in which they wouldn't be remanded in custody for their own safety.

Blu · 05/12/2011 10:56

People should be very careful about online vigilante campaigns - in addition to the reasons Edith Weston cites (which could mean that some pitchfork weilding moron attacks an innocent person), remember that two people went to jail for jokingly appearing to encourage joining the riots in a FB message.

Someone took the baby to hospital - that parent could well be innocent.

3rdOneComingUp · 05/12/2011 11:04

I couldn't even bring myself to read about his injuries.

The legal system is there for a reason. I hope who ever did this to him is successfully convicted and quickly. They will suffer in jail.

shelscrape · 05/12/2011 11:11

OK, the injuries to the child - we are told - are horrific. What gave rise to the injuries is being investigated by the police. No-one has been charged with any offence. Whilst this is a situation that many find upsetting, the wheels of the justice system must be left to turn without being influenced by guess work, rumouror jumping to conclusions. Yes, be upset for the child, but don't jump on the mob wagon and presume the parents are suspects.

I could name a number of crimial convictions which were found to be unsafe because of adverse press coverage which the Court of Appeal found to have been highly prejudical. Take the very recent appearance of the the land lord of Joanna Yeates at the Leveson enquiry into the press - he was vilified terribly, never charged, someone else has since been convicted of Joanna Yeates murder.

smokinaces · 05/12/2011 11:13

People locally know their names and their address. They have had peaceful candles and prayers outside his house for the last 2 nights. The parents were bailed to the Grandparents address, but were moved late on Saturday night to an unknown address as there were a lot of very upset locals nearby.

It is very hard to read about. I personally dont agree with them being out on bail, (becuase I have seen what it has done to the locals and the nature of the crime etc means there will always be very opinionated and vigilante like behaviour) but that is the way the justice system in this country works, innocent until put before a Jury to be found guilty.

I do think that this will be the local Ian Huntley/Maxine Carr case to be honest. And as a previous poster said, they will suffer in jail.

smokinaces · 05/12/2011 11:14

Blu, a neighbour rung the emergency services.

prettyfly1 · 05/12/2011 11:47

Smokin you have hit why I think noone should be taking action before a conviction. How did the neighbour know anything was wrong? Someone must have informed them that there was a problem. If and when these two are charged and convicted I will be the first to shout string them up - I read the details yesterday too and wanted to throw up, stopping reading after about a paragraph and a half as I couldnt take anymore BUT vigilantism is dangerous and wrong. It needs to be proven. In the meantime lets all take our well intentioned care and concern for this terribly hurt baby and pour all our energy into wishing him well, along with every innocent victim of abuse.

Blu · 05/12/2011 12:16

Smokin' - oh, OK. Thanks.
PrettyFly - I read that neighbours heard banging and loud screaming.

Original poster
BoysBoysBoysAndMe · 05/12/2011 12:26

I am not uneducated for the MN's who assume (wrongly) that as this is how I feel, then I am obviously a bit simple. It is my opionion.

I used to work for a Magistrates Court, I am also well aware of the opinion in the UK of, "innocent until proven guilty".

As winkly says, it can take a while for forensics and medical evidence to be processed. That could be a reason for them being on bail. I don't think they should be allowed on bail.

It is also my opinion that vingilantism is wrong. I am not on FB or other baying for their blood. However, if it were MY children, I would kill the person who did it. I wouldn't give it a second thought.

I know of many cases where guilty people get off with crimes they have committed.

Just because child abuse happens, does not mean I am numb to it wannaBe. This case is different as the baby is 1 month old. He was battered so badly his heart stopped, not to mention the assault. I am not saying it is more or less important as other cases, I'm saying it's horrific.

OP posts:
Blu · 05/12/2011 12:29

OP - "I wouldn't even bother with the police. Not after these dregs of society have been let out on bail.

String them up I say." is what people have been responsding to - and the reason why they may be out on bail which is what you were questioning!