The Aftermath

Chance of Freedom

In 2002, Hutchinson could have been free.By then, he would have served the 18 years the original judge gave him.And if the Parole Board had ruled him remorseful and no longer a threat, Hutchinson could now be free to walk the streets.It was only the intervention of the then Home Secretary that stopped this. By being given a whole life tariff, Hutchinson joined nearly 50 prisoners who can never be released unless the Justice Secretary decides to on compassionate grounds.NO REASON AT ALLIn 2007 the Court of Appeal kicked out Hutchinson’s domestic challenge to whole life tariffs. They rejected his appeal under the Human Rights Act and said there was ‘no reason at all’ to depart from it.INHUMAN AND DEGRADINGIn July 2013 European judges ruled that whole-life tariffs breached human rights. The Strasbourg court ruled that to be jailed without the possibility of parole was ‘inhuman and degrading.’The British government could not appeal their ruling:“To be told this breaches human rights is absurd...What about the rights of the victims and their families.”Chris Grayling, Justice Secretary

FEAR AND DISTRESSOn 21 August 2013 the convicted triple murderer and multiple rapist Arthur Hutchinson became the first ‘lifer’ to challenge his whole-life tariff under the new ruling.“You couldn’t get a better example of a case where life should mean life.”-Dominic Raab, MPThe 73-year-old Hutchinson was again in the headlines and attracting the attention he so desperately craved. This was deeply upsetting to the familes of his victims.In an attempt to put their past behind them the surviving members of the family left the area. On hearing of Hutchinson’s appeal, a spokesperson for them said;“Whenever even the name Arthur Hutchinson rears its ugly head, it does nothing but create fear and distress to the victims of this heinous crime...Let the Human Rights judiciary members be thrust into our position for just a day and maybe they would understand this.”However, some, like Janet Crowe, of the Penal Reform Trust believe that prisoners need the hope of reform:“If a prisoner has no hope and they feel they have nothing to lose...it may make them far more dangerous to work with inside the prison.”If Hutchinson was to be successful, others like Ian Brady could challenge their whole-life terms. Hutchinson’s victims are not alone in believing Hutchinson must die in prison:“He should be on the list and he should STAY on the list.”-Diane Simpson, Behavioural Psychologist