Lawyers seek to set triple child killer free


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Under Article Six of the new Human Rights Act, John Straffen - who was imprisoned for the murder of three young girls over fifty years ago - could be set free despite the fact that he is on the Home Office’s list of 20 offenders deemed to be too dangerous to ever be released from jail, including Myra Hindley and Peter Sutcliffe.

While Straffen admitted to murdering two of the children - crimes for which he was originally sent to Broadmoor on the grounds of insanity - he claims he was framed for the third death which occurred while he was on the run following an escape bid. Not only does he have alibis for almost the entire four hours he was free, but his lawyers are claiming that - as he was considered too insane to be tried for the first two murders - he should not have been put on trial for the third killing. Under Article Six of the Human Rights Act they are therefore attempting to over turn the third conviction on the grounds that he was mentally retarded and should not have stood trial in the first place. Plans are currently under way to submit a case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Straffen has a mental age of nine as a result of suffering encephalitis as a child.

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