Re: children and the idea of evil: 'Cries Unheard' by Gitta Sereny makes thought provoking reading, as do many of her interview based books.
Human rights are to be warm, fed, safe, clothed, sheltered. I am completely for any adult mentally ill enough or disturbed enough to commit this particular extreme category of crime to be safe and to be well looked after, but that extreme crime to me means they've permanently forfeited the right to freedom or to be a part of society. It's no longer all about them, and they have had justice, they have had their day in court and the objective consideration of all the facts when the sentence was passed.
What concerns me about the reviews is that they sound very reasonable, but they won't be just a formality or a paperwork exercise. They will be hugely expensive, like all appeals and hearings are, they will be very distressing for the families of the victims and will generate a lot of publicity which can be an immense source of satisfaction to people like Ian Brady, and they will be legal proceedings based on whether there is sufficient objective evidence to prevent moving towards a release, and it means that some who shouldn't be released will legally have to be even when many people involved will know they shouldn't be, because it can't be proven beyond reasonable doubt that the risk is high enough.
When the death penalty was abolished it was on the grounds that life would mean life, and that was the very thin end of the wedge. I think this will be the thin end of another wedge.
Although interesting that David McGready who should have been released after serving 20 years for the murder of 3 small children is still in prison years later because his safety can't be effectively managed anywhere else.