Morally Right

[erobitha]

What exactly are you all doing here? I am genuinely interested.

What is so sacred about 'Ripperology' that people feel the need to draft some kind of moral code for who can be accused of being JtR and who cannot?

Does your belief systems feel so threatened that you have to invent nonsense rules to prevent those candidates you find awkward, challenging or even outrageous just to prevent discussion?

Argue the points. Debate them. Let readers decide for themselves whether that candidate should be considered or not.

I have a candidate most on here can't abide, why should I stop debating his credentials? Don't like my candidate, fine let's debate it.

Do you even know what the word forum means?

Honestly, what absolute pomposity!

[Scott Nelson]

I think we both know what reservations to allow for with the contemporary suspects, it's the modern ones we both have issues with.

In the case of someone like David Cohen, I think the police must have investigated him as a possible suspect since he was insane and pulled off the streets. Even without the modern theorizing of Martin Fido, he would have made a prime choice for suspicion.

[Fleetwood Mac]

What exactly are you all doing here? I am genuinely interested.

What is so sacred about 'Ripperology' that people feel the need to draft some kind of moral code for who can be accused of being JtR and who cannot?

Does your belief systems feel so threatened that you have to invent nonsense rules to prevent those candidates you find awkward, challenging or even outrageous just to prevent discussion?

Argue the points. Debate them. Let readers decide for themselves whether that candidate should be considered or not.

I have a candidate most on here can't abide, why should I stop debating his credentials? Don't like my candidate, fine let's debate it.

Do you even know what the word forum means?

Honestly, what absolute pomposity!

Forum: a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.

The question is one of whether or not there is a moral obligation to not accuse another person of being a murderer on a forum, i.e. some things cross the line, including on a forum.

I have no strong opinion either way, but I think it is a valid question.

Edited to add: I think the OP is exchanging an idea (in line with the purpose of a forum).

[Wickerman]

Argue the points. Debate them. Let readers decide for themselves whether that candidate should be considered or not.

They have, and those same readers have expressed an opinion.
The fact you disagree with much of it is hardly relevant - this is a forum for debate after all.

[Damaso Marte]

No. We do no harm to dead people by accusing them of being Jack the Ripper. As far as living people go, because our society considers murder to be one of the worst possible offenses a person can commit, the moral imperative to solve murders greatly outweighs any any moral imperative to be cautious about investigating murder. Libel and slander laws exist to protect living people from truly baseless or bad faith accusations.

Accusing people of murder without any basis, or on filmsy ground, is also a self-punishing action as eventually the accuser harms their own reputation and they are no longer taken seriously.

[Wickerman]

In the case of someone like David Cohen, I think the police must have investigated him as a possible suspect since he was insane and pulled off the streets. Even without the modern theorizing of Martin Fido, he would have made a prime choice for suspicion.

In the broad sense, yes, it cannot be denied some police considered Jews, others considered lunatics, this poor guy didn't have a chance.
But we don't have anything specific about him do we, we don't even know his real name.

[Scott Nelson]

Possibly Kosminski. Officially it was "Aaron Davis(d) Cohen."