Have you heard about what happened to Vadym Kholodenko's family?

[ajlongspiano]

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/young-daughters-famous-concert-pianist-found-dead-article-1.2568734

[mjames]

what a tragedy....

[minor9th]

It's looking more like his wife killed them then stabbed herself.

https://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2016/03/renowned-pianist-not-suspect-wife-held-for-mental-evaluation-after-daughters-found-dead-in-benbrook-near-fort-worth.html/

[shostglass]

I hope he's alright, he seems like a nice guy and I'm sure he didn't deserve this.

[pencilart3]

YES. I heard about this I have been sad all day. OMG it is terrible I cannot imagine what he must be going through. He's such a nice guy. What a fantastic pianist. I keep watching this over and over. He looks so happy @31:30

[mjames]

Update: Looks like the mother was charged with murder.

[pencilart3]

Yeah so I heard. Still sooo soooooo sad omg

[shostglass]

The worst part is they were still little kids, only 5 and 1. They were defenseless, and probably saw her coming and didn't think twice about it. I wish they could lock her up in one of those prisons in Brazil, she deserves the things that would happen to her in those kind of prisons.

[outin]

The worst part is they were still little kids, only 5 and 1. They were defenseless, and probably saw her coming and didn't think twice about it. I wish they could lock her up in one of those prisons in Brazil, she deserves the things that would happen to her in those kind of prisons.

If that would make you feel better it tells a lot about you...it certainly won't do any difference to the poor kids.

[shostglass]

If that would make you feel better it tells a lot about you...it certainly won't do any difference to the poor kids.

Your certainty correct it would make a difference for the kids. But I believe in justice and stopping the killer.

[outin]

Your certainty correct it would make a difference for the kids. But I believe in justice and stopping the killer.

Your idea of justice is very problematic...and when it comes to stopping, there are better and easier ways.

Criminal policy is a very interesting subject. Unfortunately it's also one where most people throw all reason out the window.

There's a huge amount of methodologically sound research about punishments, their deterrance effect and financial and social consequences. None of it suggests that cruel/overly long/final punishments serve nothing else than the vendictive nature of the enraged public. Should that be served is of course a matter of opinion, but if really informed, I would say most of you would not want to be transferred back to the dark ages or the Roman empire.

The poor woman was unlucky to emigrate to Texas instead of a somewhat more civilized state, considering the criminal policies there and the possibility of capital punishment. It's unlikely though in this case, if she gets a good lawyer. If she was a poor black single mother from a slum it would be more likely according to research.

Extreme punishment is state violence. State violence doesn't seem to work well in deterring crime, quite the opposite. It's equivalent to a parent saying: "I am allowed to get drunk every night because I am an adult, but you are not allowed because you are a child". It may seem reasonable, but it will not help in any way to raise the kid to be a responsible adult. However justified in some people's minds, bad example is never a good way to promote good behavior, no matter how well it is justified.

And it's not even reasonable to spend too much time on thinking whether punishments such as death penalty are justified. There simply is no way to compare one person's death to another on any objective scale. It is only reasonable to evaluate the punishments on their effects and costs. And research shows very clearly how the effects of extreme punishments are poor and costs are high.

[huaidongxi]

if the mother was in fact responsible for her children's deaths, she's already descended into the depths of hades in her own consciousness ; cruelty to her accomplishes nothing.  it cannot have been simple, easy, stress free, whatever the material advantages were, for a young mother to come from a very different culture and start over in Fort Worth -- speaking as a native born amerikaner who's lived in some very different places around the states and traveled a bit in Texas, it would be tough for me.  and it was not she getting the rewards, recognition, accolades, but her spouse, compounded by the termination of their marriage.

[mjames]

ok outin you're a nordic (well finns arent really nordic but you get my point) and he's most probably american. You'd probably get a culture shock if you visited the south..(earlier this month alabama was contemplating about bringing castration back...).

No sense in arguing over such a sensitive topic, your worldviews are too different. She's in Texas, the woman will probably get the death penalty.

[ajlongspiano]

Thanks for all of your support during this situation. I just felt the need to bring it to light for anyone who didn't know already. She's going away for the rest of her life, and that's all that matters.

[outin]

ok outin you're a nordic (well finns arent really nordic but you get my point) and he's most probably american. You'd probably get a culture shock if you visited the south..(earlier this month alabama was contemplating about bringing castration back...).

No sense in arguing over such a sensitive topic, your worldviews are too different. She's in Texas, the woman will probably get the death penalty.

Nordic yes, Scandinavian no 
I don't need to visit Texas to be shocked...I am well studied on the criminal justice system down there. But I don't think civilized argumentation is the same as arguing. Events like this tend to wake up interest in criminal policy and usually the conversation gets very one sided.