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Tom Humphries: Guilty of child abuse

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    #302
    Deusexmachina
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭Deusexmachina


    sbsquarepants wrote: »
    I'm at a bit of a loss as to how you can feel sympathy for both the perpetrator and the victim?

    Surely you realise one is to blame and the other isn't? One done something wrong and the other didn't? One broke the law and the other didn't? And one is a pervy old man and the other is a schoolchild?

    Yet you reckon they are both deserving of sympathy? I find that very strange.

    In equal amounts, or does he deserve less? Or more even?

    Of course we are able to feel pity and compassion for those who have done wrong and who end up suffering terribly themselves as a result.

    He deserves to be punished. I feel sorry for his victim and her suffering. Separately, I feel sorry for his utter degradation as a human being. They are not proportional in any way.


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    #303
    pilly
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,005 ✭✭✭pilly


    Deusexmachina wrote: »
    Of course we are able to feel pity and compassion for those who have done wrong and who end up suffering terribly themselves as a result.

    He deserves to be punished. I feel sorry for his victim and her suffering. Separately, I feel sorry for his utter degradation as a human being. They are not proportional in any way.

    What's this "we" business paleface? Speak only for yourself.


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    #304
    Deusexmachina
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭Deusexmachina


    Are Am Eye wrote: »
    It is possible to feel compassion for an evil person.
    Without that lessening their crimes in your mind.

    The important thing here is that Humphries gets a very long sentence. He should get twenty five years.
    A clear signal needs to be sent that society will not tolerate this activity.
    One hopes that the Judge will understand the gravity of this.

    25 years.....


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    #305
    Are Am Eye
    Registered Users Posts: 2,166 ✭✭✭Are Am Eye


    buck65 wrote: »
    Jim Sherwin and Fred Cogley then Ryle Nugent goodbye.

    Fred Cogley is dead.

    Tom McGurk is who he meant. Who while he is an @sshole, is not depraved in any way (that we know of)


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    #306
    WinnyThePoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,417 ✭✭✭WinnyThePoo


    Deusexmachina wrote: »
    Of course we are able to feel pity and compassion for those who have done wrong and who end up suffering terribly themselves as a result.

    He deserves to be punished. I feel sorry for his victim and her suffering. Separately, I feel sorry for his utter degradation as a human being. They are not proportional in any way.

    He choose this.


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    #307
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Are Am Eye wrote: »
    It is possible to feel compassion for an evil person.
    Without that lessening their crimes in your mind.

    I think for most people that would involve some kind of understandable explanation of why he did what he did. In this case he appears to have done it because he wanted to fck a teenager.

    I have no sympathy for him. His life is ruined through his own fault. He has lost everything through his own fault. I hope he rots.


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    #308
    Deusexmachina
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭Deusexmachina


    WinnyThePoo wrote: »
    He choose this.

    Yes he chose it.


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    #309
    Are Am Eye
    Registered Users Posts: 2,166 ✭✭✭Are Am Eye


    kylith wrote: »
    I think for most people that would involve some kind of understandable explanation of why he did what he did

    If there was an explanation then he wouldn't be evil.


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    #310
    Outlaw Pete
    Registered Users Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭Outlaw Pete


    Are Am Eye wrote: »
    He should get twenty five years.

    Like I said. Perspective is often short on supply in these threads.


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    #311
    Deusexmachina
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭Deusexmachina


    pilly wrote: »
    What's this "we" business paleface? Speak only for yourself.

    I was attempting to describe our ability as grown up human beings to have more complex emotional analysis than just dividing the world into ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’.

    Hence the use of the pronoun ‘we’

    Thanks for the heads up Tonto.


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    #312
    pilly
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,005 ✭✭✭pilly


    Deusexmachina wrote: »
    I was attempting to describe our ability as grown up human beings to have more complex emotional analysis than just dividing the world into ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’.

    Hence the use of the pronoun ‘we’

    Thanks for the heads up Tonto.

    Not at all, you're welcome.


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    #313
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Are Am Eye wrote: »
    If there was an explanation then he wouldn't be evil.

    Not necessarily. For example 'I burned Australians to death because an Australian once beat me up' is an explanation which does not negate the evilness of the act. 'I burned Australians to death because God came to me in my sleep and told me to' is an explanation which could possibly garner some sympathy because the perpetrator is clearly not in their right mind. For me at least 'I started an 18 month campaign to get a 14 year old to perform sex acts on me' has no mitigating factors.


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    #314
    Deusexmachina
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭Deusexmachina


    pilly wrote: »
    Not at all, you're welcome.

    Keep an ear to the ground


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    #315
    Are Am Eye
    Registered Users Posts: 2,166 ✭✭✭Are Am Eye


    kylith wrote: »
    Not necessarily. For example 'I burned Australians to death because an Australian once beat me up' is an explanation which does not negate the evilness of the act. 'I burned Australians to death because God came to me in my sleep and told me to' is an explanation which could possibly garner some sympathy because the perpetrator is clearly not in their right mind. For me at least 'I started an 18 month campaign to get a 14 year old to perform sex acts on me' has no mitigating factors.

    That's all fantastic but it's my post you were contradicting and I referred to showing compassion to an evil person. You represented what I said as excusing someone's crimes so they aren't actually bad and then you can show them compassion. I don't mind you disagreeing with me but don't put your thoughts or words in my mouth.


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    #316
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Are Am Eye wrote: »
    That's all fantastic but it's my post you were contradicting and I referred to showing compassion to an evil person. You represented what I said as excusing someone's crimes so they aren't actually bad and then you can show them compassion. I don't mind you disagreeing with me but don't put your thoughts or words in my mouth.

    I really don't see how one can feel compassion for someone who has ruined their own life by knowingly and wilfully engaging in heinous acts, such as this man did. He knew what he was doing. He knew that if he were found out he'd lose everything. He did it anyway.

    Persoanlly, in order to feel compassion for someone who has ruined their own life through a heinous act there must be some sort of mitigating factor. There is none in this case. He groomed a 14 year old girl. He is the author of his own destruction. He deserves what he gets.


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    #317
    RayM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,973 ✭✭✭RayM


    He's certainly suffered as a result of his actions, but apart from being glad that he didn't succeed in killing himself, I can't say I feel any real sympathy for Humphries. I don't think he should be made to suffer unduly, but I hope he goes to jail for long enough to ensure that he's fully rehabilitated and not just sorry that he got caught.


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    #318
    Outlaw Pete
    Registered Users Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭Outlaw Pete


    kylith wrote: »
    He deserves what he gets.

    Only if he gets what he deserves.


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    #319
    Are Am Eye
    Registered Users Posts: 2,166 ✭✭✭Are Am Eye


    kylith wrote: »
    I really don't see how one can feel compassion for someone who has ruined their own life by knowingly and wilfully engaging in heinous acts, such as this man did. He knew what he was doing. He knew that if he were found out he'd lose everything. He did it anyway.

    Persoanlly, in order to feel compassion for someone who has ruined their own life through a heinous act there must be some sort of mitigating factor. There is none in this case. He groomed a 14 year old girl. He is the author of his own destruction. He deserves what he gets.

    You keep going on about mitigating factors.
    I never mentioned excuses or mitigating factors.

    Whether it is possible to feel compassion for true evil is a philosophical question. Or maybe a metaphysical one. There are different views on it.
    You obviously have yours. You should understand that it is at least theoretically possible. It is I think in both Humphries interest and Society's interest that he punished in the extreme. This type of behavior must be ruthlessly cut off at the source. The greatest possible disincentive needs to be sent out to potential future offenders.


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    #320
    retro:electro
    Registered Users Posts: 21,039 ✭✭✭✭retro:electro


    He's a disgusting pig. He knew well what he was at. From the article I read it said he initiated sexual conversations but was rebuffed, he backed off and texted causally - probably to gain trust - only to continue with the sexual line of questions a year later.
    I feel so much sympathy for the girl. I'd even go as far as saying I'm devastated for her. I hope she manages to shake some of the shame she feels for this in years to come as none of this was any of her fault. She shouldn't have to carry this burden.


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    #321
    Hector Bellend
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,667 ✭✭✭Hector Bellend


    Even the thoughts of this is disgusting


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    #322
    nagdefy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,520 ✭✭✭nagdefy


    16,000 texts...that's shocking. The child was bombarded.

    If he sent 5 or 6 inappropriate texts with drink taken there might be some understanding for him. But that amount and for the time duration shows a man with no conscience. Did he not think of his own daughter and if she was abused. A huge 6ft 5in man full of his own importance dominating a vulnerable 14 year old girl..


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    #323
    holyhead
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,249 ✭✭✭holyhead


    Lust is a terribly dual sided sword. Necessary for the population to sustain its existence yet causes incredible hardship for those who have to experience the dark side both as perpetrator and victim of same.


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    #324
    _Dara_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,971 ✭✭✭_Dara_


    Fuck the perpetrator, to be honest.


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    #325
    nagdefy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,520 ✭✭✭nagdefy


    Shemale wrote: »
    Like that prick Alan Hawe who killed his wife and three sons before killing himself and the initial RTE was all about the lovely man who was involved in GAA and "The Parish", no mention of his defenceless victims.

    Exactly. It doesn't matter if you organised Live Aid 10 times over it doesn't in anyway excuse or lessen culpability.


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    #326
    nacho libre
    Registered Users Posts: 16,692 ✭✭✭✭nacho libre


    holyhead wrote: »
    Lust is a terribly dual sided sword. Necessary for the population to sustain its existence yet causes incredible hardship for those who have to experience the dark side both as perpetrator and victim of same.

    What? Ah yeah poor Tom and the hardship he must now endure, sure he could not help himself, lust is all consuming afterall.
    Your post is ridiculously glib, and offensive to people who have been through similar experiences to the girl in question.


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    #327
    Deusexmachina
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭Deusexmachina


    nagdefy wrote: »
    16,000 texts...that's shocking. The child was bombarded.

    If he sent 5 or 6 inappropriate texts with drink taken there might be some understanding for him. But that amount and for the time duration shows a man with no conscience. Did he not think of his own daughter and if she was abused. A huge 6ft 5in man full of his own importance dominating a vulnerable 14 year old girl..

    It’s reported that they exchanged 16000 texts, not that he sent 16000 texts. The actual physical sexual stuff happened when she was 17 I think?

    Not excusing him for one second.


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    #328
    pilly
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,005 ✭✭✭pilly


    Deusexmachina wrote: »
    It’s reported that they exchanged 16000 texts, not that he sent 16000 texts. The actual physical sexual stuff happened when she was 17 I think?

    Not excusing him for one second.

    She was 16 and he had obviously been grooming her since she was 14.

    Sounds very much like you're trying to excuse him.


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    #329
    retro:electro
    Registered Users Posts: 21,039 ✭✭✭✭retro:electro


    Deusexmachina wrote: »
    It’s reported that they exchanged 16000 texts, not that he sent 16000 texts. The actual physical sexual stuff happened when she was 17 I think?

    Not excusing him for one second.

    Oh so he only bombarded her with 8000 texts then.
    :rolleyes:
    He groomed her.


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    #330
    Outlaw Pete
    Registered Users Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭Outlaw Pete


    anna080 wrote: »
    He's a disgusting pig.

    He's no Elvis alright.

    Oh wait.


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    #331
    retro:electro
    Registered Users Posts: 21,039 ✭✭✭✭retro:electro


    Outlaw Pete wrote: »
    He's no Elvis alright.

    Oh wait.

    Is this meant to be some kind of defence for a paedophile? "Well Elvis did it, so....."


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