The Ipswich Murders

[poliphilo]

They've just arrested a man on suspicion of murdering the five women in Ipswich.

I sense a change in the public mood. Normally there's a kind of collective shrug at the murder of a prostitute. If it makes the news at all it's a case of  "well, what can you expect.?" This case started out that way, but as it's progressed and the number of victims has mounted there's been a rethink. The dead girls have aquired faces and characters, we've heard from parents and siblings and friends and now we're thinking of them as young women first and prostitutes second and the shrug has turned into an awareness that anyone could take that wrong turning and end up where they did. 

At the same time we seem to have opened a proper, national debate about prostitution. We've learned that the government was thinking of licensing properly regulated red-light areas but backed away for fear of the right-wing press. Typical New Labour, that!   But maybe now they'll carry through. We seem to have joined the dots and realised that by not wanting  to deal with the issue we have created conditions that make murder easy.

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I heard the press conference this morning, and liked the respectful way the officer paused after each victim's name.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, I don't think we've seen this attitude before.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

We just saw that on the 3 PM news and I can only echo Jackie. There really was a respectful attitude and you´re right. They are being treated as real young women and not just their profession. How sad this whole case has been.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

We have a serial killer targeting prostitutes in Atlantic City (not too far from Philadelphia, as you'll recall), and there's a similarly respectful slant in the press. I doubt we'll be legalising or licensing the areas any time soon, though.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The suspect gave an interview to the Sunday Mirror yesterday, in which he said, "I'm the top suspect and I knew the girls and I had every opportunity but I'm not guilty." Very odd. I hope they've got the right bloke.

[mamarose.livejournal.com]

I have been reading along with the story in Ipswitch, as well as a story here in the US, and I genuinely believe that a redlight district that is safe and legal (and absent of children and other forced workers) is the best plan all around. Las Vegas has legal prostitution, and I don't think they have the kind of problems there that other places have.

It is good to hear that these women, regardless of thier profession, are being treated as humans. We all deserve that, no matter what we do.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I never made it to Atlantic City. The nearest I got was Cape May.

I'm hoping the response to this case will cause the government to do some serious thinking. And not just on prostitution but drugs as well. Every one of the victims was on the game because she had an addiction to feed.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to agree.

Something needs to be done to improve the lives of sex workers.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

It appears our approach is going to be different -- there's talk of razing all the sleaze motels behind which the bodies have been found. That will remove some blight, of course, but I'm not sure it will do much for the problem. The AC folks, like your Ipswich folks, had addictions as well.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a policy for driving sex workers even deeper into the shadows.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

It's terrible that sometimes things have to get worse so that they can improve. I have not read the details about the suspect but I hope that it's the right guy.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Have you read this profile by Joseph Diaz at Fayetteville State, NC? I am amazed so much can be inferred about a person.

You know Tom Stephens, the suspect had a MySpace? They've removed it, though.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

I'm glad too.

Though I personally think the Swedish plan of treating the prostitutes like victems and puniching kerb crawlers is the way to go. Tolerence Zones on the Dutch model have not really worked I believe, merely driven Pimps and the more desperate cases to the sidelines where they are more easily exploitable.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The profile is new to me. Seems like it fits the guy the police have arrested.

I knew about the MySpace. The photos the press have been using are lifted from his site.

This guy has been in the picture since the investigation began and gave interviews to the BBC and Sunday Mirror before his arrest. It's as though he's determined to thrust himself centre stage. Very odd.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Treating the Johns as the criminals- yes, I like it.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I can't believe a potential psycho spree killer is on MySpace. I don't know why this is so shocking to me, but it is. And it creeps me out. A lot. Ugh!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But these days everybody has a Blog or a MySpace or an LJ. We're going to have many more Web-friendly killers.

The news this morning is that the police have made another arrest. No details as yet.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Ewewewewew. I really don't like the thought of that. It makes me feel so invaded. The interwebs! Not the magical world of the interwebs!