Colin Pitchfork Released.

[WBA123]

Whoever said he was okay to be released should come in front of a camera and say, hold me fully responsible if he murders or rapes again.
People who make these decisions are faceless civil servants.

Minimum terms for this type of offence have increased massively since his offences were committed and would almost certainly be a whole life order had he been sentenced today.

Our criminal law system means that we can't go back in time and re-sentence people who were dealt with according to the law at that particular point in time when they were sentenced.

Which means the parole board had only one barometer to use once his minimum jail term had ended, which is his current threat to public safety. I presume (without knowing the details of this case) that he has satisfied the parole board's criteria for this.

So basically, its not the parole officers fault in this instance as they have applied the correct legal guidelines. Its our current legal system, which would need to be changed for this guy to not be released (but this would change one of our key legal principles which could set a dangerous precedent in less severe cases). And of course the legal system sentencing guidelines at the time, 30 odd years ago.

[WBA123]

And for the record, I don't think he should ever be released.

I just have sympathy with whoever had to make this decision, because within our current legal system - it appears they had little choice to make the decision they did, as long as he is not a threat to current public safety.