A Just Sentence For A Mother Who Murders Her Children
Given the recent events in Timaru, I am posting this news article in an effort to show what other nations do when mothers murder their children.
MENZ Issues: news and discussion about New Zealand men, fathers, family law, divorce, courts, protests, gender politics, and male health.
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The thing about demanding harsh punishment, is who are we harsh against.
It should not become a competition.
If the offender was a mother.
Should it be harsher, than killing done by a father.
Should one killing be worth more than another.
The killing of a child more harsh.
Than the killing of an adult.
More harsh if the victims female.
What is achieved by a genuine life sentence.
At large cost, society will be safe.
The repeat, even one off, dangerous psychopath.
The Judge left with no options.
The question must be asked.
Would she do it again.
If released, certainly you would limit her contact with children.
She would be to old, to have new children.
Unlike the US, we like other nations, limit sentences.
The most given in NZ is 30 years, most less than 20.
Apart from the Mosque shooter.
Then the person is assessed for risk.
They are on parol for life.
Each case should be judged on its own evidence.
This case looks influenced by drugs.
We’re the drugs prescribed to her or not.
Her motive, intent, and sanity influenced.
The Timaru case may be very different.
It shouldn’t be an argument about how harsh a sentence is.
Is it correct.
To some, some crimes are unforgivable.
Nothing but the harshest sentence, being correct.
Until one is being judged themselves.
Then a world without forgiveness, isn’t that great.
Comment by DJ Ward — Sun 24th October 2021 @ 2:11 pm
This is another example showing that women can be every bit as violent as men, often more deliberately and as revenge or to control. Although the sentence was long this murderer may well be out on parole while still alive. A male who committed the same murders of his children to stop their mother having them would likely have received the death penalty.
Few women are sentenced to death in the USA; since 1973 about 2% of those sentenced to death were women though women are convicted of about 13% of murders there (almost certainly an underestimation as women are much less likely to be suspected, investigated or charged, and much less likely to be convicted if charged). The number of women actually executed is even smaller; since 1976 about 1% of those executed have been women, 17 women compared to 1520 men. Sentenced men are about twice as likely to be executed as are sentenced women, i.e. women on death row are twice as likely to be exonerated.
The figures reflect a greater compassion generally shown towards women. Also, the ‘sugar and spice’ stereotype makes it difficult for people including juries to believe a female can be violent so when women murder it’s often blamed on mental illness, justified reaction to a man’s behaviour or inadequacy, or to understandable loss of self-control in the circumstances. When men murder it’s usually seen as just because men are bad and violent. In the news clip above, as is typical the murderer’s lawyer says “…just some things don’t have an explanation”, then later “…so there was breakdown, a mental breakdown”. In fact, there appeared to be a clear explanation for these murders, that of punishing the man for leaving her and “if I can’t have the children then he can’t”. And the woman’s calm phone call reporting her crimes showed little sign of mental breakdown. Many men who murder are just as temporarily insane at the time as many women are. But to qualify for the insanity defence or any recognition by the jury of the role of mental disruption, a man has to be really, obviously insane, a woman not so much.
That’s not to imply we agree with the death penalty or that we believe women should generally be punished more harshly. Instead, we believe men should generally be shown the same level of understanding and compassion shown to women. There are more cases though for women than men when offenders truly did deserve more punishment than they received.
We used to assume the title of the tv documentary series ‘Snapped’ referred to women being caught out (snapped) for committing murders. Instead, it turned out that it referred to the women ‘snapping’ under their circumstances, another minimization of their responsibility. Or perhaps the title was a play on words and meant both things…
Comment by Ministry of Men's Affairs — Sun 24th October 2021 @ 3:58 pm
Here is another one more recent. 20 October 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbI5lQhvUOI
Penelope Jackson cold and harsh, wanted to stab him a bit more.
Mr Jackson was a retired colonel.
Comment by Lukenz — Mon 25th October 2021 @ 6:45 pm
A story from today’s news ….
https://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=342368
Comment by golfa — Thu 28th October 2021 @ 5:37 pm