Topic: Alesha MacPhail murder: Judge lifts ban on naming killer

[Jon2lfc]

Today's front page on the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-47330774

Can't bear to look at the sicko's face each time I look at the news.
But got me thinking about the 'laws' surrounding naming accused and sentenced persons and how these vary according to age of the charged.

Is there any benefit in naming those that are charged (both under 18 and over 18)? (If we are all innocent until proven guilty, why not only name once guilty, rather than have someone's name dragged through the dirt and media with the chance that the person is totally innocent due to a false charge?)
Ordinarily, why can't serious, young criminals (such as murderers and rapists) be named even though they are classified as children under the law? (Why protect their identity once proven guilty if they have carried out such a heinous crime?)

[Elmo!]

Today's front page on the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-47330774

Can't bear to look at the sicko's face each time I look at the news.
But got me thinking about the 'laws' surrounding naming accused and sentenced persons and how these vary according to age of the charged.

Is there any benefit in naming those that are charged (both under 18 and over 18)? (If we are all innocent until proven guilty, why not only name once guilty, rather than have someone's name dragged through the dirt and media with the chance that the person is totally innocent due to a false charge?)
Ordinarily, why can't serious, young criminals (such as murderers and rapists) be named even though they are classified as children under the law? (Why protect their identity once proven guilty if they have carried out such a heinous crime?)

There has been a lot of misinformation spread about this that the killer was a Syrian refugee - there were quite a few proportionally placed on the Scottish Isles including Bute. Naming the killer has at least dispelled that myth.

His name was out there on Twitter etc for anyone that was looking anyway.

[BobOnATank]

It can be also to protect the victim which is especially true in rape cases where the rapist is known or related to the victim.

[Jon2lfc]

There has been a lot of misinformation spread about this that the killer was a Syrian refugee - there were quite a few proportionally placed on the Scottish Isles including Bute. Naming the killer has at least dispelled that myth.

His name was out there on Twitter etc for anyone that was looking anyway.

Ah that makes sense then.
I guess the Judge looks at the 'lesser of the two evils' effectively, and like you alluded to, in this case it was more important to destroy the myth of a 'foreign perpetrator' (which could lead to social disharmony/racism) rather than follow the usual case protocols.

Nice to see we have Judges that think in those ways. Justice with wisdom. For the greater good etc.

[Jon2lfc]

It can be also to protect the victim which is especially true in rape cases where the rapist is known or related to the victim.

Makes sense.

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I still don't agree with how court cases are publicised.
Is there really a need (in the public interest??) to publicise an accused's identity. Who benefits??