Monday 22 May 2000

Pic of the day: Would you kill an innocent little girl on her way home from bathing? No? What about two innocent little girls? There's a

Mad killer in town

OK, actually in the city, where I work. But sadly, this is not one of my funny word plays. Late Friday afternoon some idiot found out that it would be a good idea to kill two small girls, aged 8 and 10, on their way home from bathing in a popular common area just outside the city. The place, appropriately called Baneheia, is within easy walking distance from the central city. It is also coincidentally the gathering place for many of the city's drug addicts.

Now Kristiansand does not just have ca 70 000 inhabitants. It is also Norway's nr 1 holiday city, boasting a steady pulse of tourists. While the full tourist season has not yet started, there are still a lot of people passing through. It is not absolutely certain that the murderer is a local, though it should take either some terrain knowledge or some nerve to kill two children in a fairly well traveled area in daylight.

This is Norway, we are not used to these kinds of murders here. There will certainly be enough speculation without me adding my own unfounded ideas. Just because this happens some hundred meters from my workplace doesn't mean I know anything more than you about it.

***

What is pretty certain is that there will be hunting season for paedophiles again, unless someone with another motive is arrested quickly. Dead children, especially girls, have that effect. Now this need not be a concern for me. But as a single male I am concerned. Because the current treatment of paedophiles is more like a witch hunt than anything else.

I still remember, a couple of years ago I think, the local newspapers referred from the court. One bachelor was accused of molesting a couple of neighborhood kids. Perhaps he did, Light knows such things happen. What I'm not likely to forget was that the newspaper (and presumably the actorate) made an issue of the fact that this guy had a couple books on child psychology at home. Since he did not have children and did not need the books in his job, this was evidence against him.

Did you know there's an unofficial "patch", a small program, for The Sims? The game I took this screenshot from. This unofficial piece of code removes the "blur" around Sims who are naked, for instance getting into the shower or tub. Do you think I am going to download it? Fat chance.

***

Norway has moderately liberal laws on pornography, by international standards. There are limits on television, presumably for the sake of the children. Occasionally there is a debate on whether or not this should be abolished. They were moving to allow TV pornography last I heard, but I doubt they have come that far yet. Not that I would know. For one thing, I don't have a TV.

Pornography featuring children is forbidden, though. Very much so. If I understand this correctly, the law not only forbids photos, which could come from a criminal act. It seems that also drawings and texts are prohibited. It seems that our legislators have concluded, without any scientific expertise being asked, that the use of pornography will increase rather than reduce the risk of the actual paedophile act. You see it, you read about it, you do it.

At the same time, an average youth today has seen hundreds of murders on television, and books and magazines detailing murder are for sale in every self respecting bookstore or large kiosk.

Obviously some laws of nature apply for Them, and another set for Us. That's nice to know. But will it bring the dead back to life?

***

In other news: My brother called.
No one knows yet whether my mother will live, die, or something in between. She is hospitalized for the week or so. Unless it starts bleeding again, they suppose she will recover.