Tracie Andrews released from jail after serving 14 years for killing Lee Harvey

[rainbowtoenails]

I cant do a link to the news reports on this from my phone but I'm sure someone else can do that.

I saw Lee's parents on This Morning today. It is very sad that they have suffered the awful loss of their son and I can see why they feel let down by a justice system where life does not mean life.

But, looking at this case with a feminist gaze I cant help but make comparisons with other intimate partner killings. Mostly committed by men, these other cases Ive heard of rarely end up with a sentence of as long as 14 years. It reminds me of what I read ages ago in Helena Kennedy's 'Eve was Framed' that the justice system is harder on women than men for the same crimes. Im not saying that TA should have been let out sooner but that people of both genders who commit these crimes should be given equally long sentences.

emma, I agree - women are "supposed" to be more caring and nurturing by nature - it IS more shocking when they kill. When you get those cases where a mother kills her children (big trial in the news now for example), us mothers think - well she just MUST be mentally ill, depressed, driven to it by abuse or some such. When fathers do it, they are evil, controlling bastards. Whatever the background behind it, the tragedy is equal.

As the mother of three lovely sons I can tell you all that if, God forbid, anyone did that to one of my boys I would be waiting outside for that bitch to be released and would kill her on the spot.

What the hell does it matter what her gender is she murdered an innocent man and should have been hanged in my opinion.