Why Does This Bother Me?

Two scenarios present themselves:

Let's assume that Ms Lowde is mad. Stark staring bonkers. This would mean that she was not responsible for her actions. That we are essentially punishing someone for being ill. OTOH let's assume she is bad. `The most evil and cunning woman to have ever walked the earth. That would mean that she was allowed to persecute her victims for nearly a decade until she finally targeted someone who was deemed worthy enough to be granted the protection of the state. The bedrock of democracy is equality before the law yet in this case one victim among many is granted more protection because of factors which should never have influenced the decision to prosecute: her recent misfortunes and, quite possibly, her gender. Ms Lowde's other alleged victims were, by all accounts, men. The establishment, it would seem, cannot extricate itself from the simplistic, polarised view of woman as victim and man as perpetrator but it can just about cope with 'woman on woman' crime.

'Curiouser and Curiouser,' said the Theology Graduate

Curiouser and curiouser.

Maybe she'll get to share a cell in Holloway with Felicity Whatsherface. Maybe they can anchor their respective mental illnesses to some kind of religion so that everyone, even their victims, will be tying themselves in knots in a fruitless attempt to understand why they did what they did.

Stalking, murder, stalking, murder...which is worse? You decide.

Oh, and it would appear that the rest of the world disagrees with the self-appointed bastions of British Blogdom (bloggery? Buggery?) who fought so hard to bring Ms Lowde to 'justice'.

'There is a very weird witchhunt-y feel to all this stuff about tracking her down

On reading the two blogs, that's my feeling as well. From what I can tell, what we seem to have here are two female bloggers involved in a catfight. One is popular and politically astute. The other is quite smart but clearly has serious psychological problems. Both seem to take great pleasure in publicly needling the other, but the astute one knows what lines she can and can't cross, how to whip up public support, and how to use the system to her advantage, while the unhinged one is obviously isolated and in need of help.

After reading the two blogs, I can't help but think I'd much prefer the more overtly insane one -- even though you know that eventually she'd turn on you over some imagined slight as well.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 5:13 AM on May 28

Damn straight!

This Is So Fucked Up...

This is the first account I have encountered that even makes an attempt at being objective. This whole sorry episode reveals what people really think of the mentally ill. To call it a 'witchhunt' is an understatement. Another blogger castigated Ms. Lowde for what he called her 'evil deeds'. On his own blog he called her a cyberterrorist. In another post he defends a former IRA RL terrorist. In what kind of moral universe can the former possibly be seen as worse than the latter. These people really terrify me.

http://tinyurl.com/2zbryv

Scroll down for this quote:

'Don't get on the soapbox about the Criminal justice system being soft on murder. Your (sic) soft on cyber stalking. Then again you are a bully.'

Madness. Absolute madness.

Enough Already!

'Maybe it'll be your turn next. I'd love for you to be able to understand the truth about Felicity Jane Lowde. I'm sure many of us would.'

Trust me, 'Madam Min', I've gone through far worse irl than a few nasty comments on the internet. Interesting how you acknowledge this woman needs to be in a secure hospital yet you believe that she is responsible for her actions. In law if you are mentally ill enough to be sent to a 'secure hospital' she is not responsible for her actions. Is she ill or is she a criminal? You can't have it both ways.

What would you have us do with the 'mentally ill'? (very few of whom pose a threat to others). The Nazis had a rather innovative solution - I believe it was called 'Aktion T4'.

And, there you go, anon no more.

And, yes, I do have mental health problems* - PTSD is one of them.

Just another latter day witch hunt. If I'd known I'd have bought them a domain. I wonder if 'www.burnthewitch.com' is taken.

*Along with one in five of the population.

What the Great British Public...

really think of the mentally ill:



She is madder than a box of snakes, if she is living rough in London area its just a matter of time until pc plod feels her collar.

This particular woman obviously has serious psychiatric problems

please remember that for every one nutter out there, there are thousands of us that wish you all the best in the world. Don't let this mad woman ruin your life!

Amazing how such people can operate with impunity, yet normal, decent law abiding people can be shut down, destroyed and disenfranchised so easily by the authorities.

Fatter and older? It appears that a Greater Power has already started her punishment.*

tay safe and with our help we will get this nutter. There are always loons out there too bad one has latched onto you.

she has been a constant pain to me and others in the area and i think she is complelty sick, for what she has been doing to you.

Well done: staying true to yourself in the face of the nutters.

she may be walkin', but she is a cripple!!

Well done. Let's hope that one day she realises just how unpleasant, mendacious and batshit mental she is.



Charming, huh?

More to come.

*Well, duh, everyone 'gets older'. What should we do about that? Shoot every woman when she reaches the age of forty? Shoot every woman who does not live up to some manufactured image of what a woman 'should be'? Nice to know I live in such a compassionate and enlightened society.

Response to

this:

Thank you, Iain Mullen, for your analysis of the case. My concern is that a mentally ill woman has not or will not receive the help she needs. The facilities for mentally ill offenders in this country are woefully inadequate.

A similar situation occurred on Usenet a few years ago. The 'Cyberstalker' in this case was from the US - Madison County, Wisconsin. IIRC the authorities were quick to act and forced him to accept treatment. Again, IIRC, he was suffering from a personality disorder. Ironic that the US criminal justice system, much derided in the UK, seems to be so much more enlightened than our own when dealing with these cases.

And Another...

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

I hate to rain on your parade but Ms. Lowde will probably only serve about three months of a six month sentence. It would have been better for Ms. Lowde and her victims had she been given a treatment order. This is far from a ‘get out of gaol’ free card. She would have been detained for an indefinite period and her release would be dependent upon a psychiatric assessment. I was attacked (physically, irl, not over the ‘net) two years ago and my attacker got a suspended sentence but he was also sectioned and was detained in hospital for longer than he would have been detained in prison.

She is highly unlikely to receive the help she requires in prison.

Yet Another Response

to this:
(Scroll down to the comments section)

Post 1:

What is the world coming to when 'mentally ill' people are permitted to use the internet? You are aware that statistically 'mentally ill' people are more likely to be the victims of crime rather than the perpetrators? No, I didn't think you were.

Post 2:

My post was not an attempt to defend Ms. Lowde but rather a comment upon the somewhat disturbing views on the mentally ill. As I said most mentally ill people do not behave like Ms. Lowde. Most mentally ill people are more of a risk to themselves than to others. Will you not open your mind to the wider implications of people's comments on this case? I myself have a mental heath problem that is controlled by a small dose of medication. I have never nor would I ever deliberately harm someone.

I would also like to know why, if Ms. Lowde is deemed to be mentally ill is she not in a secure hospital rather than a prison. I was physically attacked two years ago and that crime was not deemed serious enough to warrant a prison sentence. And there was I thinking we had equality before the law.

Finally, to the person comparing Ms. Lowde's crimes to those of Hindley and Brady - seriously, get a sense of perspective.