By the time you read this, the Soham murderer Ian Huntley may well be dead. He was attacked by fellow piece of human excrement Anthony Russell and found in prison in a pool of blood, having suffered significant head trauma. Yesterday, Huntley was taken off life support. The man, if you can call him a man, who murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, will soon be no more. My only sadness about his impending death is that there will not be a hell for him to go to.
In writing what follows, I suppose I need to explain myself. I am not a proponent of capital punishment in any circumstances. This, I know, places me in a minority because on the face of it I appear to be arguing that people like Huntley should be spared the premature death they impose on others. It is hard to argue with that assertion because that is what I am effectively saying. In some ways, I am defending the indefensible.
My feeling is that state-authorised execution is little better than an individual, or groups of people, committing murder. Clearly the death of Huntley cannot be remotely compared with the death of those two beautiful little girls and there is no room for a ‘but’ in this sentence. I do not care that such an evil human being is about to die. But in a way that probably makes no sense to many of you, I’d rather he stayed around a little longer in order to exist in a living hell, incarcerated for life and fearful for his safety on a constant basis.
Anthony Russell, who it is alleged was responsible for the attack on Huntley, is certainly no hero in my eyes. A triple murderer and rapist is not someone I would look up to as a role model and say: well done for killing Huntley.
That said, the world is a better place without Huntley, as it would be without Russell. It would have been far better if neither of them had been born in the first place. But unfortunately there are, always have been and always will be, people who are, if this is possible, beyond evil. No question that Huntley comes under that category.
I have no criticism for those who will celebrate Huntley’s death. In the grand scheme of things, his death will be of zero significance. If his death brings comfort to anyone, then who am I to criticise? I may well say ‘Good riddance’ when his death is announced because it will be, but to put it bluntly his death ends his own life sentence. He suffers no more. I want him to suffer into old age.
What I don’t want to get onto is that slippery slope, the eye-for-an-eye justice still practised around the world. I would rather all criminals paid for their crimes by serving the appropriate sentence.
Mine, I feel, is a tough argument to make and frankly not one I’d prepared to die in a ditch for. Huntley does not deserve to be remembered and some will say his murder is a fitting end. When I see the photo of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, I can understand why people will say that. My sadness at their deaths remains greater than my anger. It’s a close thing, though.
BREAKING NEWS: He’s dead, Good riddance.
