Murders Rights

[slacker]

Irregular News for 01.08.07

 

United Kingdom -- Police have refused to release photographs of two escaped murderers, claiming it might breach their human rights.

 

Killers Jason Croft and Michael Nixon are among 13 inmates to have absconded from Sudbury open jail in Derbyshire in the past two months.

 

Despite the fact that only two have been caught - and that the killers are still on the loose - Derbyshire Police said the public do not have a right to know what the convicts look like.

 

A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said: "When making a decision to release any photograph, police forces must take into account numerous factors including the public interest test, whether there is a strong local policing purpose and, of course, the Human Rights and Data Protection Acts.

 

"Photographs of named people that are in police possession are classed as data and their release is restricted by law.

 

"Acpo (Association of Chief Police Officers) guidance states that releasing a 'wanted' photograph of a named person should only happen in exceptional circumstances where officers believe that the named suspect may be a danger to the public."

 

Croft, 28, has been missing since October 31, while Nixon, also 28, has not been seen since he failed to appear at roll call on November 2. Both are originally from Manchester.

 

"Unfortunately, once people abscond, it's up to us to trace their whereabouts," the spokesman added.

 

"The very nature of open prisons is that those people are out and about anyway on placements and some abuse the trust we have placed in them. We are left to mop it up."

 

More than 660 inmates have gone missing from Sudbury in the past 10 years and officials were criticised last year for spending £25,000 on a champagne party for staff as a reward for "high performance".

 

source

[AR Husker Fan]

Here's a similar oddity - in many states, childred placed in foster care who run away are "protected" in the same manner. You cannot reveal the identity of a child in foster care, so you can't release a picture to aid in finding them. Some states have modified that to permit release of the picture when the child has to be located.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

So......somebody could be making friends with one of these two and not know they were a murderer until that person stabs them in the back........literally.......