Yesterday, the judge in the case of Peter Sutcliffe quickly lifted the cloak of anonymity away from the infamous serial killer after he applied for a parole hearing to find out what his eligibility would be.
The case is creating a stir due to the fact that if he is granted a tariff that expires, or a minimum jail term, then he would not only be eligible for parole, but also for a lifelong anonymity order which could place people in peril.
At the moment the man known as the Yorkshire Ripper is going by the name Peter Coonan and in October a judge instructed that he should be referred to in court as Sutcliffe so that his new identity is protected. The media was able to successfully argue however, that the alias should be part of public domain and thus is mentionable.
If he is granted lifelong anonymity then Sutcliff would be able to start his life again in the shadows of the world with his previous actions behind him, with only a small handful of police officers and probation officers aware of his presence.
Due to the new court release order, Sutcliffe how has a few problems in his way such as winning a tariff and proving that he is mentally fit to be transferred from Broadmoor to a prison cell where he can be eligible for parole.
It seems inconceivable that such a man is even being considered for release, it is hard to fathom why it is even being discussed, a bank robber or drug dealer may change his ways, or at least has paid his prescribed debt to society, but a serial killer will not change his spots, and should certainly not benefit from being able to live next door to a woman without her knowing.
