By Donal

According to The Sun, the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe is making a legal bid for freedom. The man responsible for the killing and mutilation of 13 women over a 5 year period in the North of England claims his human rights have been breached. He wants to be declared sane, transferred to a normal prison and given a date for his release.

Mad or Bad?
There has always been question marks over the nature of Sutcliffe’s incarceration (not the incarceration itself). At his original trial in 1981 , the prosecution were initially willing to accept a manslaughter conviction on the basis of diminished responsibility. Sutcliffe claimed that he had been told by God to kill prostitutes and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. But the trial Judge rejected this and ordered that a trial by jury go ahead. Sutcliffe was convicted of Murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served the initial three years of his sentence in a conventional prison before again being diagnosed with schizophrenia and was transferred to Broadmoor high security mental hospital.

However, this decision was called into question in 2003 following the publication of Michael Bilton’s book on the Ripper. New revelations on what Sutcliffe was wearing when he committed his crimes indicated a sexual motive; casting huge doubt on his claims that he believed himself under instructions from God. On this basis (and others) Bilton suggested that Sucliffe was faking his illness so that he could enjoy a more comfortable incarceration in a mental hospital. Now that Sutcliffe conveniently believes himself to be cured, Bilton’s theory has been lent further creedance.

Does Life mean Life?
There are also questions over the whole life tariff Sutcliffe is being held under which has been the subject of much legal wrangling over the years. In February 2007, the European Court of Human Rights announced that it was considering whether it is a contravention of human rights for someone to be sentenced to lifelong imprisonment.

Lets hope Life does mean Life!
Sutcliffe’s barrister will attempt to use the European Convention of Human Rights to secure his release by 2011 and is confident of a result. Lets hope she is wrong.

Will the Yorkshire Rippers application for a release date be succesful?

Will Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper be released by 2011?

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