Hello to all

[Muse]

Hello there,

As per the joining instructions - I'm a new poster who came across this site following some internet research that I have been doing into unsolved crimes.

In terms of the day job - I've recently taken on a new role in press and public affairs for a health think-tank/charity (not a journalist, I'm the one that feeds them!) which is a part-time concern as I have (temporarily) given up the running around the hamster wheel full-time in order to finish my first novel. It concerns a murder, hence my research brought me here. I also do a fair amount of freelance to keep the pennies trickling in.

I've long been interested in apparent or non-apparent miscarriages of justice and continue to be amazed at the way in which people will construct a ludicrous story in order to satisfy their own belief in guilt or innocence. Common sense seems to go completely out of the window in order to make facts fit - I think the offline equivalent is hammering non-matching jigsaw pieces into submission with your fist!

Case in point - and no offence intended - I think someone referenced an experiment into bloodied water buckets to prove/disprove one of the sidebars of the Bamber case. You absolutely cannot cut a limb and think it is the same as menstrual blood. They are composed of different materials - apples and oranges. Again, not getting at anyone, but I find myself more and more pointing out fallacies of this type and also rehashing the old adage: "The plural of anecdote is not evidence".

So here I am - entirely open-minded to the point where something is nonsensical, I've read extensively about the Kisko and Evans when it comes to miscarriages of justice for instance. The system makes mistakes, but sometimes there is a keen and self-evident truth supported by science, psychology and plain old boring common sense.

Nice to 'meet' you all - albeit in cyberspace,

M

PS. Yes that is me in my avatar, I'm a little Welsh dragon.

[John]

Hello there,

As per the joining instructions - I'm a new poster who came across this site following some internet research that I have been doing into unsolved crimes.

In terms of the day job - I've recently taken on a new role in press and public affairs for a health think-tank/charity (not a journalist, I'm the one that feeds them!) which is a part-time concern as I have (temporarily) given up the running around the hamster wheel full-time in order to finish my first novel. It concerns a murder, hence my research brought me here. I also do a fair amount of freelance to keep the pennies trickling in.

I've long been interested in apparent or non-apparent miscarriages of justice and continue to be amazed at the way in which people will construct a ludicrous story in order to satisfy their own belief in guilt or innocence. Common sense seems to go completely out of the window in order to make facts fit - I think the offline equivalent is hammering non-matching jigsaw pieces into submission with your fist!

Case in point - and no offence intended - I think someone referenced an experiment into bloodied water buckets to prove/disprove one of the sidebars of the Bamber case. You absolutely cannot cut a limb and think it is the same as menstrual blood. They are composed of different materials - apples and oranges. Again, not getting at anyone, but I find myself more and more pointing out fallacies of this type and also rehashing the old adage: "The plural of anecdote is not evidence".

So here I am - entirely open-minded to the point where something is nonsensical, I've read extensively about the Kisko and Evans when it comes to miscarriages of justice for instance. The system makes mistakes, but sometimes there is a keen and self-evident truth supported by science, psychology and plain old boring common sense.

Nice to 'meet' you all - albeit in cyberspace,

M

PS. Yes that is me in my avatar, I'm a little Welsh dragon.

Welcome to the forum Muse, I do hope you find the discussions useful and look forward to reading your own contributions to the great justice merry-go-round.

 

[Eleanor]

Welcome, Muse. 

[Holly Goodhead]

Hello there,

As per the joining instructions - I'm a new poster who came across this site following some internet research that I have been doing into unsolved crimes.

In terms of the day job - I've recently taken on a new role in press and public affairs for a health think-tank/charity (not a journalist, I'm the one that feeds them!) which is a part-time concern as I have (temporarily) given up the running around the hamster wheel full-time in order to finish my first novel. It concerns a murder, hence my research brought me here. I also do a fair amount of freelance to keep the pennies trickling in.

I've long been interested in apparent or non-apparent miscarriages of justice and continue to be amazed at the way in which people will construct a ludicrous story in order to satisfy their own belief in guilt or innocence. Common sense seems to go completely out of the window in order to make facts fit - I think the offline equivalent is hammering non-matching jigsaw pieces into submission with your fist!

Case in point - and no offence intended - I think someone referenced an experiment into bloodied water buckets to prove/disprove one of the sidebars of the Bamber case. You absolutely cannot cut a limb and think it is the same as menstrual blood. They are composed of different materials - apples and oranges. Again, not getting at anyone, but I find myself more and more pointing out fallacies of this type and also rehashing the old adage: "The plural of anecdote is not evidence".

So here I am - entirely open-minded to the point where something is nonsensical, I've read extensively about the Kisko and Evans when it comes to miscarriages of justice for instance. The system makes mistakes, but sometimes there is a keen and self-evident truth supported by science, psychology and plain old boring common sense.

Nice to 'meet' you all - albeit in cyberspace,

M

PS. Yes that is me in my avatar, I'm a little Welsh dragon.

Hello you little Welsh dragon.  Welcome to the forum.

With regard to the case of Stefan Kiszko the scientific evidence was there from day 1.  A truly shocking and appalling MoJ.  Made all the worse by the fact that SK's defence led by David (Lord) Waddington went on to become Home Secretary and made a life peer!  That's what I call reward for failure!  And what of the four prosecution witnesses who later admitted lying and went unpunished.  Is it any wonder that the system is flawed?!

[Wonderfulspam]

Hi Muse, welcome.

Do you like Muse?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgum6OT_VH8

[Muse]

Hello again and many thanks for the warm welcome!

John and Eleanor - thank youm I'm looking forward to contributing (and I'm all for merry-go-rounds!)

Holly - indeed and I found the Kizsko case particularly hard in terms of the mental competency angle as with Evans, the system should be set up for justice first and foremost, but should also be coherent and applied equally to all. It's clearly not the case when two individuals have been coerced into confessing when there is no evidence to substantiate the charge in the first place and both have difficulties in understanding the nature of what their confession means. I find it very difficult to accept that people with less wherewithal to navigate the complexities of the system could be let down so badly as a result and seemingly in the pursuit of a conviction at any cost.

Wonderfulspam - I do!  I've seen them live a fair few times now and other than Led Zeppelin, are probably my favourite rock outfit of all time. I tend to vacillate between their top tune, but at the moment it's this (an old one, but a good one!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7la0SndoCI