To think there should be sanctions for criminals who refuse to disclose what they have done with a victims body?

[LottieandMia]

I've recently watched the programme about April Jones and her poor mother explaining how she may have to accept that she will never know what happened to her daughter.

Couldn't more be done to put pressure on killers to compel them to say where a body is? It is just absolutely unthinkable that an innocent victim should be denied a burial and their families denied closure on top of everything else they have been through.

I know this isn't straightforward since these people are liars. I just feel it's terrible that people who have committed heinous crimes can continue to exact torture on their victims from their prison cell.

I thought they had found human remains in his fire place?

What if the killer genuinely isn't able to remember?

In this specific case, we're talking about a long-term alcoholic who would consume up to 50 units of alcohol a day. I don't actually find it that hard to believe that he had a alcoholic blackout and won't ever be able to tell anyone what really happened.

Also applies to situations where the killer was suffering from a serious psychotic episode, and isn't able to remember either.

I'm not saying I've got any sympathy for him mind- but I tend to think people operating under a rational state of sanity wouldn't necessarily act in that way in the first place.

I think prisoners should be doing something like community labor anyway to repost debt to society, so in my world they would be assigned a harder work detail.

We'd be bringing in laws which basically mean if you are unjustly convicted of murder, you're punished more harshly, and effectively end up with life without parole.

As I understand it, the current situation is that a pre-requisite of parole is admitting the offence.

It has already been noted in several cases of miscarriages of justice that innocent defendants end up serving far longer sentences than guilty ones, because of their dogged insistence that they are innocent.

Simple bring back the death penalty for people who dont cooperate and won't reveal the location of a body.

Would save a lot of money also

Personally I'd like to beat the crap out of these people until they tell ....

Yeah Glitter because that would SO help the guilty come to a point where they might reveal the location eh?

Simple bring back the death penalty for people who dont cooperate and won't reveal the location of a body

Yes because killing them is going to mean the location is revealed ...

You're basically saying "If you're convicted, we'll kill you unless you reveal the details ... if you genuinely didn't do it, have a mental health condition that means you genuinely don't know or cannot reveal the location, well you'll be dead but it's for the greater good" ... I thought we had moved on from the days of Witch Hunts

Bringing back the death penalty is definitely not the answer.

No parole until the body - or all bodies are found - sounds a reasonable penalty, because it shows there has not been true remorse.
If the've forgotten or were stoned, tough, maybe the extra years will jog their memory

Torture, brutality, death penalty for refusing to say ..... belong to medieval times, not 21st century

Harsher conditions - mostly no, wrt physical conditions
That's ill treatment and would also raise the risk of hammering the unjustly convicted more than I would accept.
However, I would remove all access to internet and media interviews for those who might gloat over their crimes, so basically for any who do not vigorously assert their innocence.

There's a case in Spain, that of Marta del Castillo a 17 year old girl murdered in January 2009. In her case there's no mistaken conviction as the perpetrator and the friends who helped him get rid of the body have admitted the murder.
They were neighbours and friends and she was killed in the bedroom of the guy who was convicted. He has reenacted the murder scene for the police yet he and his mates keep sending the police on wild goose chases having given the police four different locations.
The police have never given up the search and her parents and grandparents are relentless in trying to get answers.
There's only one man in jail, (the others were minors, others not enough proof for conviction) He was convicted to 21 years and can appeal for parole 3/4 of the way through his sentence.
He'll be out before he's 40 years old. In a case such as this, parole should not be contemplated and I agree to no perks I jail.

I would agree with Haliez13 there is too much chance of the person who protest the innocence being the other victim, remember Barry George or LEslie Grantham? Death penalty never.

there is too much chance of the person who protest the innocence being the other victim, remember Barry George

and Barry George wasn't innocent enough for compensation .

Well in this case the murdered admitted to killing April but said he couldn't remember what happened after. So in the cases where they are completely guilty and won't ever get out of prison, what is the point in wasting money letting them live a long life in comfort.

Also some might confess if they are being sentenced to death. If they don't then they would never reveal the location anyway so better off without them.

I can't believe how many people believe child rapists and murderers should just live a lovely life in prison, of it was my child it happened to then I'd want the death penalty. Sorry that your sympathisers with that sort

He should be forced to bunk and have meals with other prisoners. That would soon sort out the evil bastard.

GlitterRoseGold - if you think anyone is living a lovely life in prison on a whole life tariff, as I believe that particular killer is, then I think you don't really have much idea about what conditions are like in the British penal system.

'I can't believe how many people believe child rapists and murderers should just live a lovely life in prison, of it was my child it happened to then I'd want the death penalty. Sorry that your sympathisers with that sort'

Disagreement with the death penalty has nothing to do with sympathy with the offender. It's about the need to be able to rise above the behaviour of such people and not exact vengeance.

Disagreement with the death penalty has nothing to do with sympathy with the offender. It's about the need to be able to rise above the behaviour of such people and not exact vengeance.

plus the consequences of getting it wrong ...

We know someone who was convicted of rape and spent 17 years in prison before it was finally found someone else was responsible. He would have got an earlier parole except that he understandably refused to admit the crime becaise he hadnt done it.

sorry hit send too soon. If that rape had been murder theres obviously no way he would have been able to reveal the whereabouts of the body

I said the people who admit to it like in this case with April jones.

GlitterRoseGold - you know false forced confessions have been behind multiple bad convictions?

Plus, if confessing meant the death penalty was in the table, why would anyone confess? Surely that would just provide criminals with even less incentive to cooperate with law enforcement.

Thing is, they've already lost everything, it's the one piece of control they have left over. You could threaten them with the death penalty, or promise them complete freedom, but nothing will make them reveal the location if they don't want to.

Sorry, nothing could make me wish solitary confinement on anyone.
Being locked up is unimaginable horrific. Punishment enough IMO