So, a fourth prostitute has gone missing in Ipswich (they have already found three bodies in little over a week).

Personally I can't see what all the fuss is about! I've never actually understood why the "Yorkshire Ripper" was ever prosecuted at all!

West Yorks Police had spent years and millions of pounds trying to clear the streets - and he achieved that in 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!

What a very heartless thing to say ITK. Do those women deserve to die ? Think of the families of those poor women and also consider this, serial killers start with prostitutes and then graduate to kidnapping random women off the street.
I hope and pray this monster(s) get caught soon.

I've met hookers who have a far better morality than Editors of National Newspapers I know!

I think Itk`s comments came across a little more strong than intended, in the printed format, but we would appear to have a new serial killer, which of course leads to copy cat killings etc, which is horrid.
I don`t want to get into a morality debate over this issue, but if pushed I will, as my Sociology course work was based on this very subject.
My thoughts are with the bereaved friends and families at this time and that`s all I will really say.

It was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek ... but I still stand by the general principle that I don't think the police should be wasting time and public money chasing people who were killed whilest committing a crime (soliciting) anyway. They should have far better things to do.

As for "serial killers move onto other people" - I don't think there's the slightest shred of evidence to support that. It's like the old chestnut "cannabis leads to heroin".

And JK - I'm not questioning their morality (after all prostitution has never been an offence in itself) but why can't these people operate privately rather than plying their trade in (public) streets?

I am glad that society has moved forwards in some respects.

It was only when Peter Sutcliffe killed an "innocent victim" that any notice was taken.

Prostitutes are people.

that each victim being a prostitute is a coincidence. It could be that this person selects lone women out at night. There are probably more prostitutes out alone at night than other women.

Alternatively, he may select prostitutes simply because they are easier to "pick up". He might not have anything against their profession.

So much still to learn, and I hope the police investigate properly rather than rely on their profilers.

Either way, the murderer needs to be stopped quickly.

The selection of dump sites (water related) seems to indicate that he's pretty organised. Water sites are a bitch since it kills the forensics (it was why the Green River killer got away with it for so long. I would suggest the girls who he's killed are not his first, there could even be some women who got away. And those, if the make the link, are the best chance of getting the man.

I'm the worlds worst for being clinical about this sort of thing. The type of victim is just another piece of the puzzle, as opposed to an object of moral outrage in any way shape or form... The thing with prostitutes is that you don't need significant social skills to approach one. It may be ease of access, it may be a lack of social skills. Hard to say. There hasn't been an indication of level of prostitute. Usually the 'street walker' has lower expectations of client

Without still getting involved in morality issues, I put forward the theory that we have a nutter on the loose who is mad enough to go around killing the ladies he has visited, I am sure the police are looking at this angle as well. If this is the case, I imagine the case will be closed rather quickly, I do hope so.
And Al? You may be right about coincedence, but I don`t think so personally.
Gawd this is a dark conversation, it does concern me, there are some very dark areas around there and my sister lives there.

sort of a Darwinian approach to law enforcement... Scumbags offing scumbags is ok...

Who defines 'a scumbag'? Are all Laws equally good? Why does solicitation warrant a death sentence and a pauper's grave? Should murdering (killing with intent) someone in the commission of a crime be an offence or something that is one does enough one gets an MBE?

To paraphrase Judge Lynch: A fie on our laws and let each man be his own Judge.

I think the idea is a one way trip to anarchy.

Humanity is dark.

Grandpa

Interesting points, BUT I still think this should be a LOW priority for the police. There are much better things for them to do - and it certainly DOESN'T warrant firth place on the News. Maybe on local news programmes (to alert local women) but there are more national and international issues (of interest to the law-abiding majority) than what happens to a few tarts.

btw A FIFTH woman has now gone "missing" !

I doubt very much that these subjects are chosen at random (simply because they are "approachable"!!!)

Right up until it's an 'innocent' in your book... which then is just drooling hypocrisy as people wring their hands and wail that the police should have got the man before it got to 'decent girls'. 'Tart' or no, they're someone's daughter, mother, sister.

We can all fall a long way and to sit in judgement of what and who should be a police priority is assinine. While ever it's someone that one regards as 'disposable' it's 'low priority' to 'acceptable' is just pompous, hypocritical, arrogant nonsense. The sort of Crap I'd expect from the readership of the toilet paper that panders to the prejudices of Middle 'It couldn't happen here' England...

To quote Donne, ask not for whom the bell tolls...

I've just watched BBC News - and this gets more hysterical by the moment !

The police now have extra patrols (not to arrest prostitues, you can be sure of that) and a "prostitute steering group" ! Why not just have all the tarts line up and ply their trade right outside the police station?

Or, better still - invite them to use the facilities !!! (all those cells have beds, don't they?)

Perhaps the BBC should launch a night of fund-raising for them? They could call it SIN (Sluts In Need) !!!!

ITK you seem to have a very unhealthy attitude towards prostitutes.

Frankly I think seeking a multiple murderer is a much better use of resources than chasing fanciful conspiracies about dead ex-royals.

If Tony Blair suggested justice only for those who "deserve" it, as you are, you'd be the first in line ranting about it.

To follow your suggestion if a shop-keeper were robbed it'd be their fault for having a till with money in it.

For whatever reason you resent prostitutes please deal with it, for your own sake at least. Peter Sutcliffe thrived while people like you held the opinions you do and I am glad that most of society has realised these women aren't "asking for it" anymore than anyone else.

Prostitutes are people.

The murder of a prostititute is 100% as tragic as the murder of anyone else. Surely, this isn't even a matter of debate.

One would think not... but the 19th Century seems to be alive and well...

Perhaps they'd be better off dying and reducing the surplus population?

(Thanks to E. Scrooge of Scrooge and Marley for the use of his comment)

This is getting almost nauseously Victorian in it's attitudes to drabs and street walkers...

Maybe all women are asking for it, running around naked under their clothes like that... it's the next logical step...

<<<Frankly I think seeking a multiple murderer is a much better use of resources than chasing fanciful conspiracies about dead ex-royals.>>>

Perhaps is you'd actually read some of the responses above you'd realise that I was pointing out that SOME subjects (such as political conspiracies, for example) affect us all (law-abiding as well as street walkers) whereas what happens to a tart (and was largely self-inflicted by her own chosen occupation) is of little interest or concern to the vast majority

<<< To follow your suggestion if a shop-keeper were robbed it'd be their fault for having a till with money in it >>>

Absolute nonsense !
The shop keeper is going about his (lawful) business - not committing crimes on the streets (and spreading disease in the process).

<<< The murder of a prostititute is 100% as tragic as the murder of anyone else ???

WHY?

Are you suggesting that people who go about their daily (lawful) business, pay their taxes, don't live off others, don't spread disease, don't claim every known benefit while scrounging a living on the streets are EXACTLY the same as prostitutes?

It would seem Pandora had snapped the lid shut on that Hope JK