To think I live in a bad street? **warning from MNHQ - contains upsetting content**

[user1498582366]

THOUGHT I was bringing my children up in a lovely area. Lived here most of my life. Beautiful countryside, very small town, very expensive housing market, outstanding schools, low crime rate (so I thought). Turns out.. there have recently been three convictions from people on my road committing horrific crimes. One couple killed their 8 week old baby, one man raped his 6yr old step daughter and another man convicted for being a paedophile and grooming girls online. All have just gone to prison to start lengthy sentences. Does this happen this regularly in all streets and towns!? Am I not up to date with how times have changed?

Wanting to move area. Was I stupid to think that things like this didn’t happen in places like here?

To add.. I would love to live closer to the sea but thought I was doing the best by my children to raise them in a nice area!

I think it sounds very unlucky and can understand you'd be a bit shaken.

Ultimately as you know about these things so presumably its because its been reported in the news meaning they are off the streets and being prosecuted.

Jesus. Closed doors, eh?

Yes, all over the news. Seeing mug shots of people you’ve said good morning to a few times is unsettling. The typical “they don’t look like...” springing to mind!

Well, no, this isn’t normal, I don’t think. We’ve not had anything like that locally (that I am aware of).

That does not sound normal at all

I’ve had that in my street. You just can’t believe that nice mr so and so could do such a thing.

Just shows you, there are bad people everywhere and being minted or poor makes no difference.

I wouldn’t move. The perpetrators will be in jail presumably and, if anything, their families are the ones more likely to move to escape the wagging tongues and retribution attacks on their houses (it does happen). However if the perpetrators live next door and are not in jail (there are alternatives like tags or community service but I don’t know what offences get that) I might consider moving in case someone mistook my house for theirs and I get flaming dog poo through my letterbox or something!

It’s not normal but doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad area or that you’ve chosen badly.
A couple of generations ago in the space of 5 years my posh childhood street had a DV murder, a murdered baby other DV and a violent public sectioning. I’m pretty certain there’s not been a parking ticket there since.
it’s traumatic for the community though.

Other than the onine grooming they were all crimes against people they knew. I don't think it is where you live, vandalism, burglary etc are crimes I would worry about as a home owner except if as pp said there was a risk of my house being targeted by vigilantes.

Bloody hell. I would say you've been unlucky.

Was I stupid to think that things like this didn’t happen in places like here?

Yes. Did you think it was only poor people who murdered/abused children or committed other crimes?

Erm - any chance of some warning in the title!?

@Welcometonowhere warning? They are crimes that happen up and down the country on a regular basis sadly. Do you expect a warning before the news comes on, before seeing a newspaper with a headline in the shops etc?

I think it might be considerate on a parenting website to give people a heads up they are about to read about the rape and murder of children, yes.

I think you’ve just been unlucky and hopefully nothing else terrible will happen now. Unless your street is called Coronation Street, then it’s business as usual.

Op wasn't graphic she stated basic details ffs warnings.

Op you have been unlucky I consider a few houses on our street to be a bit rough but we've had no worse then the bi monthly shouting match from next door and someone once ripped a bit of our fence off to batter somebody.
I wouldn't move off the back of it bad things happen everywhere.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

Was I stupid to think that things like this didn’t happen in places like here?

Yes. Did you think it was only poor people who murdered/abused children or committed other crimes?

No, I understand all walks of life can be murderers, pedophiles and violent. I have also never heard before now, of one murder or pedophile case in the 33 years of living here, so thought it was quite a safe place to live.

I think the rape of a six year old and the murder of a baby IS graphic! I wasn’t accusing the OP of using deliberately salacious or inappropriate language: just the same, I didn’t quite expect that detail to be in the post!

Seems you've been unlucky with your neighbours.

They are all inside now so I guess you don't have to worry about bumping into them.

Horrific offences aren't necessarily linked to annual salaries/nice homes.

I'd be more worried about burglaries, muggings and things that made me feel unsafe walking down the street. The crimes you mentioned could happen anywhere. It's "street" crimes that are mor localised, and in urban areas they tend to be concentrated around train stations or very specific streets.

I think there's a website somewhere where you can type in a postcode and see what crimes have been reported in the last few years.

These are all fairly "class-free" (for want of a better word) crimes though. What I mean is that they are the result of human wickedness (and in the case of the baby murder, probably catastrophic loss of temper) rather than deprivation, lack of opportunities and disconnection from society. So you've been unlucky but it doesn't mean you're not living in a "naice" area. Just as good people come from all walks of life, so do evil people.

It happens everywhere. I think you've been unlucky in the way that they all seem to have all happened at once in your area.
I grew up in 'nice' village and there were at least two murders due to disagreements with business deals in the space of a couple of years.

Unless they were part of some kind of ring (which seems unlikely) it must be very bad luck. As far as I'm aware peadaphiles are no more likely to live in sink estates than in leafy lane suburbs.

@Welcometonowhere

Erm - any chance of some warning in the title!?

What should I have said? Erm.. warning.. post mentions murders. If it said Warning graphic details, would your curiosity not take over? Sorry to offend. Imagine this all happening on your street without warning!

In the rural Shires there are many clique town councillors that strive to decant the poor, deprived and weirdos into some form of exile. Usually end up in a large new estate on the edge of a village or market town. The difference is that is is becoming clearer now.

@welcometonowhere How do you cope with opening a newspaper or do you need a lie-down afterwards?

I'd also be more worried about street crime. Domestic crime - however nasty - doesn't impact on the neighbourhood in general.