Maxine Carr ... how would you feel if she moved close to you?

[littlemissbossy]

I don't know whether anyone has read the Mail on Sunday today, but in her first interview since her release, Maxine Carr is quoted as being "grateful" that many people who recognise her are polite and has said that an elderly couple she'd met told her she'd been poorly treated.

If you recognised her in the street, how would you feel? particularly if you found out she was living close to you?
Opinions please mumsnetters.

[Paula71]

This poor woman knows exactly how people feel about Carr. She was on the news tonight in Scotland and she looks absolutely nothing like Carr (different hair colour, facial features, build, the fact she is Scottish, everything!) The reporter then went to the housing estate where one lovely neighbour said basically if they thought she was Carr she wouldn't be safe.

(I'm thinking more on the lines that it is just evil neighbours against this woman rather than them thinking she was Carr but all the same. Things like this make me ashamed to be Scottish.)

[MeanBean]

I think that's why we only choose a selected few, Moomin. It's easier that way. There's just not enough hate to go round!

[Moomin]

If we hated and tried to punish every single woman who was naive; who was of below-average intelligence; who was lied to, deceived and manipulated by her partner but she stood by him; whose partner had a history of violence and even sexual violence, then I expect we'd hate a vast number of women who stand behind us in the supermarket, or in front of us in the precinct or those we stand with at the school gates, or even some of our freinds or members of our family.

[glitterfairy]

Bugzi you obviously have very strong feelings on this, which as you say are your own, thank goodness. Aloha has said everything that I would have liked to say as I read your posts.

[hercules]

Poor, poor woman. There are so many people who have actually committed dreadful acts against children and yet have recieved far less punishment in terms of people hating them and publicity.
She has and will continue to be punished above and beyond what she deserves by the public and media.
It seems she is a scapegoat for peoples hatred and fears of people who actually hurt children.
Ian Huntley was the person who killed those children not her. Yes, she was naive but she wont be the first to believe a liar and she wont be the last.
Peoples time and energy should be put to better use not hating her but dealing appropriately with people who do actually hurt children and by appropriately I dont mean a witch hunt.

I'm sure I would differently if it was my children but that it is why we have judges etc to decide guilt and suitable punishments rather than those who may not be able to make rational judgements.

[aloha]

I personally think it is extremely presumptious to assume you know how the families of the children feel, and to assume how any of us would feel if something terrible happened to our children. I also find it distasteful to imply that if you don't hate Maxine Carr and actively want to hurt her then you are cannot be horrified by what Ian Huntley (not Maxine Carr, who was hundreds of miles away at the time) did to the two girls. I also find it offensive to state that any woman who has the misfortune to become involved with a criminal man has 'low morals'. Murder is not a sexually transmitted disease.

[Bugzi]

Thanks Fio2, you basically just said what I've been trying to say all along, in 2 sentences.

[Fio2]

Bugzi you are entitled to your own opinion, we are all different. i am sure you are right, if it were our child then we would hate her - I can totally understand where you are coming from. I just feel differently, we all do in many respects of everything, dont take it personally

[Bugzi]

I give up!

I've explained my feelings about this woman and what bothers me about her. If you don't understand that then I can't help you. Re-read my post slowly and you'll find the answers. I am allowed to have my own opinion - which won't change. Anyone involved in such crimes will never lose the stigma. Yes, I agree, leave her alone. Maybe even forget she was involved, just like the Chapman's and Wells families can forget their daughters were murdered and bodies burnt, dumped and decayed. Imagine not being able to kiss your precious child goodbye because there was basically nothing left of them. Imagine.............

[Shiraz]

OKAY so i am pretty new to this site and do not want to get anyones backs up (ie after having many bitchy answers back on other "mummy sites"

However i do not think she knew he had killed those girls..she was totally in LOVE with that peice of s**t! NAIVE, she was , maybe..to think that she needed to cover up for him as he had been "accused" of such things in the past, she genuinely was trying to protect her partner who she thought was innnocent! Did you see the look and shock in her face when they told her int he police interview..she isn't clever enough to be able to do that..surely?!

What i cannot understand is that he had all these other accusations in the past (in several different towns)..i used to live near them and drank in the same pub as them (in Scunthorpe)...and he was accused of something or other then..she chose to stick with him and (unfortuantley ) believe him and therefore give a flase alibi..that is ALL she is guitly of (apart from what she has served her time for)!

People want to blame Maxine as it makes them feel better, i personally do not think i would be frightened or feel unsafe if she moved within the vicinity of my family! There are plenty of more dangerous people walking freely on the streets as it is, whom you would not recognise as you don't know them and they equally can't be named but have done much, much worse!

Right i'm offski now, before anybody starts throwing things at me..

[Fio2]

Exactly Tinker

[Blu]

But she thought he was an innocent victim of a false accusation, didn't she?

Whatever we all think, the fact is now that she has been tried in court, convicted for giving the false alibi, served time and been released. Because the press feel the need to get as much coverage as possible and sell papers, and because people feel the need to take the law into their own hands, or express their distress at what Ian Huntley did by targetting someone who stuck up for him BEFORE SHE REALISED HE WAS GUILTY we taxpayers are having to foot the bill for her protection.

[Tinker]

"Oh, if she moved next door to me I?d be petrified for my children?s safety"

Why?

"It clearly didn?t bother her that he?d been involved in a sexual assault/rape prior to their relationship"

How do you know she knew/it didn't bother her?

"That?s when your kids are at risk from a woman of such a low moral standing"

Confused????????

"The thing that really bothers me is that she doesn?t seem to give a damn about the families of Holly and Jessica"

How do you know?

[Fio2]

so she should be a hermit because her 'boyfriend' murder two ver innocent young girls I dont think she should, she didnt kill them

[Fio2]

this is silly. She has been punished under our legal system for 'perverting the course of justice' (or whatever) It is nobody elses business whether she goes shopping or not.

Ian Huntley is the murderer not her!

[Bugzi]

She is far away from her family and friends because she?s supposed to be in hiding ? that is what I mean about ?blatantly? walking around in a town centre. Shouldn?t she be lying low? Otherwise, why doesn?t she just move back to her home? I thought the whole point of her being kept in a safe house was to be kept safe. Why then is she walking around without security? She must realise that somebody will eventually attack her (and no, I would not attack her). Have you heard about shopping on the internet? How about popping out to your local newsagent for bread and milk? You would think this would be a more sensible approach. I?m not disputing the fact she needs protection but I fail to understand how living in a ?safe house? or whatever with a new name but still looking identical to how she used to look all makes sense? None of you have talked about the families involved and how sick hearing her name must make them. Perhaps her ?mistake? of agreeing to talk to that reporter should have been to say how sorry she is that her lies made a bad situation a lot worse for Jessica and Holly?s families. Maybe then people might try to forgive her. Instead it was about how nice people are to her. Yes, she is simple, very simple and very self. Oh, if she moved next door to me I?d be petrified for my children?s safety. It clearly didn?t bother her that he?d been involved in a sexual assault/rape prior to their relationship (remember, this is why she lied for him) so she probably would go out with somebody of very similar character again because it doesn?t seem to bother her. That?s when your kids are at risk from a woman of such a low moral standing. The thing that really bothers me is that she doesn?t seem to give a damn about the families of Holly and Jessica. RIP Holly and Jessie.xxx

[glitterfairy]

I totally agree hercules.

We have laws in this country to ensure that justice is done, they are not foolproof and certainly have led to some miscarriages of justice. However, the emtotional repsonse to a what is an incredibly awful crime is not necessarily the repsonse of a caring, compassionate or just society. I would like to think that we have developed from a cave mentality and treat all our citizens with care, tolerance and respect.

This goes as much for those in society who have done criminal acts as others it is the mark of civilisation that we act within a reasoned and respectful framework. Dont confuse a totally natural emotional response to justice.

[hercules]

What should she do? Never leave the house again? She made a mistake and has paid heavily for it. I certainly wouldnt fear for my children if she moved nextdoor. Why should I? I wouldnt like the media attention though so close nor the threats from people who cant leave her alone. I hate the idea of the public ganging up on one person who has already done her time and didnt hurt anyone knowingly.

[Piffleoffagus]

it's people that think like you Bugzi, that make her need protection.
She is a simple girl, made a dumb mistake, she does need to go shopping...
If she started dating my brother, I'd be bothered perhaps though...
Nimby moi?

[aloha]

I don't really understand this reference to 'blatantly' walking around shopping centres. Er, she is a single woman living far from her family, working and trying to live a reasonably normal life. She has to go to the shops for heavens sake! She didn't hurt anyone, she certainly didn't kill anyone and she clearly had no idea that Huntley had killed the girls (he wrote to her when they were both in prison assuring her of his innocence, which he wouldn't do if she already knew he was guilty). She liked the girls and they clearly adored her. She sobbed and sobbed when she realised what had happened. I heard it on tape from her police interviews. I personally have no doubt she knew nothing about their fate, and a jury who heard all the evidence thought the same. She was convicted of a crime borne out of stupidity and naivety and served her time. Her life has been ruined. She didn't approach the papers. A reporter was at her family's home when she happened to call home after a week full of particularly vitriolic stuff about her and she made the mistake of agreeing to speak to him briefly. I really think that it is hardly 'attention seeking' to go to the shops to buy food.

[Bugzi]

If she so desperately needs this protection, why is she blatantly walking around in town centres? Is she so desperate for the attention? Why isn't she lying low and why has she not changed her appearance as we were all led to believe? I think it's a slap in the face to Holly and Jessica's memory and to their family and friends. The woman obviously has no scruples and frankly, ignoring her is the last thing I'd do. Where is her remorse???????

[Twinkie]

How so Blu?

And sorry but there is a whole world of difference when it comes to lying for your partner about a parking fine or driving offence - I can't get over what those parents must have been put through all because she was protecting the man she loved and believed his innocence - mind you I am sure lots of people wil say but she thought it was the big bad policeman that had a grudge against him when in reality he was a serious serial sex offender and she a stupid dishonest (about the most henious crime) woman who thanks to her lying and in my mind calculated (she knew what she was doing smirking in those interviews) dishonesty put 4 parents and countless relatives through the most horrific time that as a parent you could go through.

[Blu]

She was tricked into it - and nearly lost all her prtection as a result.

[Twinkie]

Why is she being interviewed by the media - surely she should be lying low and at least having some respect for the families of the girls that her partner so brutally murdered and she lied to protect.

[Bugzi]

I have no sympathy for her what so ever. If you were the parents of a child who was brutally murdered and their naked bodies dumped in a ditch for 13 days and nights, you would hate every person who contributed towards that. Put yourself in the Chapman and Wells positions, if she hadn't lied then they might have found their precious daughter's bodies sooner (& less decomposed). She knew she was lying when she lied, now she has to live with what she's done. She should show a bit of remorse and stop flaunting herself in public and in the media.