[Cherry Christmas]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

It depends on what you consider to be within the scope of mental health, I suppose. I can fully accept that she willingly and knowingly allowed animals to suffer for her own financial gain, I haven't at any point suggested that she's definitely some poor little lady who had good intentions but just couldn't cope, but really it makes no difference to my stance.

Someone who deliberately causes animals to suffer, and then just leaves them rotting in their kennels, for a few £ is so severely lacking in empathy that it's hard to make any case for them being "of sound mind", and there will be a cause. It's worth finding out why she is like she is, not for her, but because understanding these things is all we can do to stop other people going down the same sort of path.

People make whole careers out of trying to understand the psychology of violent criminals and murderers - what makes them violent, what gave them the urge to kill, etc. It's not to excuse them or have them set free, we're talking about extremely dangerous individuals most of whom will never be rehabilitated in any meaningful way... it's because understanding what creates a "monster" like that is how you know when to step in early to stop it happening again.

It would be much easier to say "Judge says guilty, throw him in the dungeon and forget he ever existed!" ... but isn't it worth trying to gain something? Their actions can't be reversed.

I think you underestimate how selfish/evil people can be when money is at stake, nature v nurture is another debate all together.