The killer who should never have been free

Your articles last week about the death of seven-year-old Emily Jones, who was killed by a mentally ill woman in a park on Mother’s Day, made for horrific reading, and I feel sure her parents will never recover from their sorrow.

Emily’s situation is in such a contrast to my own childhood in the 1940s when children would visit Dartford Heath to play games. We were totally safe. Why? Because in those days dangerous patients were locked up for everyone’s safety.

When will the authorities accept the facts and stop the nonsense of trying to treat the mentally ill in the community?

Kate Manning, Wittersham, Kent

As Julian Hendy, director of victims’ charity Hundred Families stated in his article, deaths like Emily’s aren’t a rare occurrence – on average, 120 victims a year are killed by mentally ill people in the UK.

It makes me angry that the mental health professionals know that these patients are a danger to society when they are released, but are concerned about stigmatising all mentally ill people as ‘dangerous’. This is political correctness gone wrong.

Stasha Martin, East Preston, West Sussex

Emily’s killer, schizophrenic Eltiona Skana, was an illegal immigrant when she arrived in this country and she should have been returned to her native Albania at the time.

J. Garcia, Teignmouth, Devon

How come Skana is being treated as a victim?

Maggie Roberts, Cardiff

It’s extremely sad, as this tragedy could have been avoided. Care in the community is a scandal and simply a way to cut costs.

I. Kennedy, Staffordshire

A system is only as good as the people working within it. When people shirk their responsibility, we get tragedies like this. Yet we continue to turn the other cheek when faced with incompetence and do nothing to change it.

William Elder, London

Those responsible for not making sure Skana was locked up should be punished. They are well paid to do their job, which includes making the right decisions, so when they get it so wrong they should lose their job.

J. Waugh, Manchester

I was a carer for three years and can vouch that the care companies often do not share crucial patient information with staff.

B. Stanford, Leicester

How does any family ever cope with this nightmare? Emily’s family should sue the Government, NHS and local authorities. I’m sure if they couldn’t get legal aid, the public would gladly raise money for the costs on their behalf.

Martha Harris, Manchester