Publication of the Mary Kelly crime-scene photographs

[Chris]

This is a thread for the discussion of the publication of the Mary Kelly crime-scene photographs, and associated issues - including claims that the images are legally obscene and/or pornographic, calls for censorship and suggestions for practical measures to protect children from exposure to the images, both in print and on the Internet.

[Cap'n Jack]

Well Chris, I think you know my view clear on this matter, and that is the images are pornographic and obscene, in the extreme, and should not see the light of day, in any form or manner that is not related to an on-going murder investigation by the authorities concerned.

[smezenen]

I say print them as they are. This is history and should not be altered in any way.

As far as them being too obscene and/or pornographic, watch Nightmare on Elm street, friday the thirteenth, haloween, any good horor flick and you will see the same graphic images and most kids have seen one of theose movies before they are teenagers. this all comes down to a few prudish adults most of whom dont have children trying to tell the rest of us how to raise or kids. If i dont want my children to see that kind of thing then i dont let them look.

Leave the photos alone and butt out of my parenting is what i say.

[Cap'n Jack]

And what would you say if it was one of your kids, murdered and gutted, on the cover of Cook's book?
Still the same?

[Tom_Wescott]

I don't see any reason to protect children from them. They're not gonna find them on the internet unless they actively search for them. My only problem is that people who otherwise would not want to be exposed to such images would unwillfully be exposed to the Kelly photo by Cook's book (they say he's a doctor now ha ha) in a bookstore. As far as I'm concerned, ANY imagine can appear online or INSIDE a book as long as it's legal. At that point, it's the parent's responsibility.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[smezenen]

And what would you say if it was one of your kids, murdered and gutted, on the cover of Cook's book?
Still the same?

As a man of integrity, yes would say the same thing. I have a very close friend who died in Iraq due to a mortar attack. he and i had been friends since 2nd grae or so. after he died his mortuary picture was put on a website for all to see. So I have been there and it doesnt bother me. if you dont want your kids to see it block it.

[kensei]

These are just my random thoughts on the matter, having grown desensitized I think to the Kelly photos long ago. The argument that takes the form of "What if it was your daughter?" or other variations is a highly emotional one, and one to be respected for that reason. But by that token, one could say that since everyone is someone's son or daughter, then no photograph of any dead body should ever be published anywhere.

I have thought at various times that if the Kelly photos were in color then they could not be published in the mainstream as liberally as they are. On the other hand, I saw a color photo a few years ago in either Time or Newsweek magazine that rather shocked me- it was of dead Taliban fighters literally blown to pieces by bombs dropped from a plane, scattered across the desert sand in Afghanistan. Really, dead faces, guys blown in half, arms and legs everywhere, in a mainstream magazine available to anyone.

I think that whether a picture is newsworthy or of historical value, and whether sufficient time has passed (no one who knew Mary Jane is going to see and be upset by the pictures today) are important factors to consider, and that a warning of "graphic images" should probably accompany the Kelly pics in such a way that ones sees the warning before the pics. So I guess it seems to me, even in the midst of writing this, that the pics should probably not appear on the cover of a book, but inside is acceptable.

[halomanuk]

I agree with Tom Wescott on this one,basically unless you actively search for the photos then you wont really see them,and they are important still for historical and true crime reasons so taking them away would be ridiculous.

As for having the photo on the back of a book ? well i am amazed that decision even made it as far as it has because THAT is taking things to another level and basically thrusting the photo into the face of anybody who turns the book over,adult or child.

[smezenen]

Ive been thinking about this topic since i posted my original answer and realized that I have seen so much carnage in real life and in pictures that I have become numb to it. Yes putting it on the cover of a book woldl create oppertunity for a child to see it without parental permission so thats bad. However, sooner or later our children are going to grow up and have to deal with the ugly side of humanity, so we need to keep photos like this around as a reminder that things do go bump in the night and as a tool to educate. let parents decid ewhat and when to exposetheir children to these things but dont take them away all together.

[halomanuk]

Exactly,keep them around of course,but don't stick them on a book cover where a child of any age can see them.
Then it becomes outside of parental control or parental decision making,i wouldn't like my youngest daughter seeing it.

Ultimately it is the parents decision in these matters to decide when they want the child to see the world is not a particularly nice place,nobody elses.

[Cap'n Jack]

I must say I am encouraged by many of the comments posted here, and perhaps my view of a community that perhaps understands that continual exposure to such images can and does produce a false, if you like, view of the reality which our children struggle through, then tempers my image of that community, in that I no longer view an entire community as being self-seeking publicists with an urgent errand to make copper from murder, but I certainly view the efforts of a few hare-brained, inconsiderate, immodest, slightly deranged, definitely self seeking, probably sensationalistic, pathetic, and money grabbing individuals who do use such images for commercial gain as being a slap in the face for that community from which they will never probably recover.
Painted in blood we are but scum.
Quite honestly I'd like to shoot the varmints and then throw them on the front cover of a book and call it 'Headcase Closed'.