Some thoughts on the Milly Dowler case and others.

[GothAnneGeddes]

The more I think about this case, the more I think that the defence argument was more about fulfilling Levi Bellfield's sick fantasies then it was about providing a credible defence. I'm sure he really enjoyed watching her family suffer like that and that it was his intention all along.

Likewise, in the Vicky Hamilton case, even though prosecution evidence was water tight, the defence was still allowed to dredge up photos from her past and smear her reputation, to the great distress of her family, but probably to the delight of Peter Tobin, her murderer.

In the Sally Anne Bowman case, her murderer was allowed to use the ludicrous and sickening defence that he hadn't murdered her, but had found her dying and had sex with her. Again, I'm sure it thrilled her murderer to hear that described so graphically in court.

So even in death, women are denied their dignity and the legal system is more concerned with letting scum (can't think of a better term) further indulge their misogynist fantasies.

Ern, given that her father was not being charged with anything, how was his private life relevant to the case? Even if the police did look at the father initially (as so many murders are committed by family members) - the father was not in the dock and there was no suggestion that he had anything to do with Levi Bellfield, so I think it was not relevant and the judge was wrong to allow it to be discussed. Judges are human, you know. They sometimes fuck up.

Actually, not necessarily. Judges have been known to make idiotic and vile pronouncements about victims of sexual assault having asked for it, for example.