Yorkshire Ripper to be released?

[Perdita]

It is rumoured that Peter Sutcliffe, the so-called Yorkshire Ripper is to be released from his secure mental unit.

As I don't think he has ever shown any remorse for his murders and if it becomes true, I can only say to all women: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid :eek:

[sindydoll]

he wont ever be freed

[Abigail]

I agree. There is no way he will ever be released. He's in a secure mental facility at the moment, which goes a long way to say that he's mentally unstable and a possible danger to the public.

[Perdita]

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe is fit to be freed from Broadmoor, according to doctors at the high security hospital.

The decision is a major step towards 62-year-old Sutcliffe's aim of being freed altogether. He was jailed for life in 1981 after murdering 13 women and trying to kill seven others over a five-year period in the 1970s.

If the Ministry of Justice agrees with the doctors' verdict, he will be sent to a medium-secure unit where he could be allowed out on short release for rehabilitation. A source close to Mr Sutcliffe told The Sun he is regarded as a "model patient" at Broadmoor, and medics are more concerned about the risk the public poses to him rather than the risk he poses to the public.

"He is effectively cured as long as he never stops taking his medication," the source said.

Sutcliffe believed he was on a "mission from God" to kill prostitutes - although not all of his victims were - and was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper because he mutilated their bodies using a hammer, a sharpened screw driver and a knife.

He has spent nearly all of his 27 years in captivity at Broadmoor after being diagnosed as mentally ill, but refused treatment until 1993 when the Mental Health Commission ruled that it should be given forcibly.

It emerged in 2006 that he is not among the 35 "worst" offenders who have been told that they must spend their entire life behind bars.

Sutcliffe is now represented by human rights lawyer Saimo Chahal. His legal team have fought hard recently to have him declared sane and given a release date.

A source close to the convict said: "Peter was told last month by his lawyers that after detailed discussions with the Broadmoor team he'd been classified as low risk.

"The psychiatrists advised that if the powers-that-be allowed him to be re-categorised and sent to a medium secure unit, he was at low risk of trying to escape or breaking the rules.

"When you are in medium secure units you are basically being prepared for a new life outside, you need to be rehabilitated slowly and taught simply how to live again.

"Peter has not handled money since he was locked up nearly 28 years ago. He has only ever bought things out of catalogues and has not had to cook or clean or do his own laundry.

"He would be taken on supervised shopping trips at first and then allowed out on his own and given simple tasks - like buying a train ticket, catching a bus or going to a supermarket."

The source said the main concern was that Sutcliffe might be recognised.

"A risk assessment was done as to whether Peter was likely to abscond if allowed out on the streets alone. But Peter told me he was marked as low risk on every aspect of his behaviour," the source said.

"He has been a model patient. He has never caused any aggravation and is liked by the staff.

"Peter said the only fly in the ointment was that it was agreed he was at very high risk of being attacked and hurt if people outside recognised he was the Yorkshire Ripper.

"However that was countered by the fact that he is now unrecognisable as the Peter that was locked up. He is bloated up to 19st, his complexion is bad and he shuffles about. Peter's trademark jet black well-groomed beard is now grey and straggly."

From Daily Telegraph

[Abigail]

Well the Telegraph have just increased his chances of being recognised :rolleyes:

[Perdita]

I am sure he is not the only overweight chap with a grey beard and bad complexion who is not too well on his feet. And perhaps not that many people will remember reading this article.

[Abbie]

I know it syas he is being released but I really hope he isnt

[StarsOfCCTV]

Its sad that life doesn't mean life anymore in this country.

[Abbie]

Its sad that life doesn't mean life anymore in this country.
I think the only time that we ever stuck to any sentencing were in the says off
"Off with their head!"
But I wouldnt bring that back- Im just saying

[Pinkbanana]

How can you brutally murder 13 women and then be considered for release...even if he was 99 years old and wheelchair bound, why should he be allowed to taste freedom, after such crimes??? If I was a relative of one of the murdered girls I would be soooo angry. Probably the only comfort they get is knowing justice, at the time, was done and the ripper was locked away for his crimes...

I sincerely hope there is nooo truth in this report. I personally think there are members of the public out there that would hunt him down, if he should be released and kill him. I think its in his and the public's interest he stays where he is...he's in a mental hospital, not a jail after all. So probably having a pretty good life anyway.

[Katy]

there is no way he should be released, not for what he did he should rot in jail for the rest of his life

[Abigail]

Gordon Brown has said it is "very unlikely" Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe will be released from jail.
His comments followed a report in the Sun which said doctors at Broadmoor had told the serial killer's lawyers he was no longer dangerous.
The paper said if the justice secretary agreed to downgrade him as low-risk, he could be moved to a medium security prison and eventually released.
Sutcliffe, from Bradford, was jailed in 1981 for murdering 13 women.
Speaking at his monthly news conference, Mr Brown said it was "very unlikely" Sutcliffe would ever be released.
He said: "Any prisoner held under the Mental Health Act will only be downgraded, as is suggested might happen, if the Mental Health Tribunal, which is independent, is satisfied that it's safe to do so."
Life sentence
"We're not aware of any tribunal being asked for or arranged in relation to this case.
"Obviously the tribunal would consider these issues but in my view it is very unlikely that anything is going to happen that is different from the sentence that has been imposed upon him."
Sutcliffe was given 20 life sentences and told by the judge he would serve a minimum of 30 years for his killings across the north of England.
He was transferred to Broadmoor three years into his sentence after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said life sentence prisoners could not be discharged by the Mental Health Tribunal while they were detained under the mental health act.
If a tribunal review found a prisoner's condition no longer justified detention in hospital, he or she would return to prison, he said.
"A life sentence prisoner's release can only be ordered by the Parole Board, and he has no access to the Parole Board while he remains lawfully detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act," he added.

[Chloe O'brien]

If the judical system ensured that life meant life for murders we wouldn't have to worry about them being set free. I can remember when he comitted they awful murders but technically he is eligable for parole. It was the same for the Kray twins. many years they had pleas to be released rejected because they were classed as too dangerous yet the only people they murdered were fellow gangsters.