For thinking that this is the most shoddy, crass and insensitive bit of 'journalism' ever?

[HillyWallaby]

Utterly heartbreaking and tragic story in the news today. The Huffington Post version of events is here

What kind of total fuckwit thinks it is at all relevant or appropriate to print these quotes?

She said: "It's a lovely area. We're very shocked."

Estate agents Savills, who sold the house to the family, described the property as "beautifully presented with a wonderful feeling of space".

A man's whole world is ripped apart

Two babies are dead

A poor woman has been pushed over the edge of utter despair by mental illness (probably)

and all they can do is encourage us to perve over the estate agents details of the lovely house?

No, not just that Aitch, it's all a bit lowbrow tbh, but that quote just sticks out as being incredibly crass and pointless to me. the whole article focuses far too much on the house for my liking.

it might be a little crass, but it's not pointless, as you have already acknowledged.

We shall have to wait and see what charges she faces, as I expect it is likely the provisions of the Infanticide Act would apply. We shall have to wait and see.

Attaching previously published material to news stories when a tragedy put someone in the headlines is a well established practice. Photos published on line of the marathon runner were being shown on all sorts of media on the day of her death.

but she hasn't been found to be mentally ill.

And if it was a man people wouldn't be saying "poor man."

But because some report suggests... we must have sympathy for this woman.

Well I don't.

Two children are dead.

I feel sympathy for them and for their father.

I think it's wrong to assume that just because it's a woman they must have been mentally ill. Lots of people are mentally ill, most don't murder their children.

i never really find that argument too convincing. 'mental illness' isn't just one thing. i think it's a fair assumption that she's not that likely to be a cold-blooded killer.

It is pointless Aitch, because it goes into irrelevant detail about specific things to be found inside the house, not just its value and its location.

It gives what should be a very solemn bit of news reporting the breezy lighthearted air of a Hello magazine lifestyle spread. It's just yuk.

I agree we probably should not be drawn into speculating too much about how/why the children were killed and by whom, but under the circumstances it is natural to draw certain conclusions based on probability.

perhaps not aitch, but it is the blatant double standards that are attached to the murder of children by a parent.

If a mother murders her children we must have sympathy, assume that she is mentally ill, and anyone who says differently is unfeeling and uncaring, and not understanding of mental illness.

But if a father murders his children (and it is worth bearing in mind that often the father also commits suicide at the same time) he is branded a bastard, clearly did it to spite his partner or ex partner, and anyone who says differently is wrong.

Maybe she is mentally ill, in which case she will be diagnosed as such. But to automatically make that assumption is to downplay the tragic deaths of two innocent children, IMO.

sounds to me like a journalist just dug up the brochure and quoted from it, to pad out a story with very few details yet available. The house is the murder scene so it gives the tragedy some context to describe it. Frankly I don't see the big deal.

My beautiful friend did this to her babies
She then took her own life.They too seemed to 'have it all'.
People would say to me 'but she shopped in x place','she went on lovely holidays','her husband was wonderful' and so on.

She was the kindest woman.She knew at the time I wasn't driving so she would make sure her husband drop me to my door rather than spend money on taxis etc.

We later learnt that she had severe depression.She didn't tell anyone.
We need to get over the 'taboo' depression brings.I've had depression and I don't tell anyone in RL.

Then reason I think the newspapers mention the big house and the fact he is a banker is because humans try to make 'sense' of why people do such shocking things.
They think 'she had EVERYTHING' why on earth would you throw all that away?'

Untill you understand mental illness or depression or have had it/have it we will never understand how people are pushed to these extreme lengths.

incidentally i was more disturbed by the two neighbours interviewed on BBC London last night - one couldn't stop smiling, I mean maybe she was tickled by being on telly but it was SO inappropriate.

I think, wannabe, it's probably because, in general, men don't really suffer from postnatal depression or postnatal psychosis. Which is, more often than not, a factor in mother's killing their own children.

No comedy you are not. That is clearly the point. How can she have troubles if she lives in a house like that? And a banker husband? Well, she wouldn't have to work...anxiety? Depression? Nah..... Base reporting.

Jimmychoo. I'm so sorry to hear your friend's story. There but for the grace of God as they say. You are absolutely right about breaking the taboo.

Despite what's been said in this thread, I can't help it, my heart goes out to the mother as well as the father here, we don't know but the fact she slit her wrists suggests to me that she perhaps had post natal depression.

The fact she had a ten week old baby and was therefore susceptible to PND is maybe why we are quicker to assume that mental illness was involved here.

tbh wannabe always makes this point about mental illness... i'm surprised at the characterisation of 'men branded as bastards' though, because i've seen her make the same point on threads discussing when fathers kill their children if people dare to assume that he will have been suffering from mental illness.

fair enough, wannabe, if you think that anyone who kills their kids, for whatever reason, is a bastard... i have some sympathy with that... but in the absence of any evidence it's not really a sexism issue.