"Manhunt made my son a killer", Says the Mother

The parents of Britain's most violent teenager has spilled to News of the world that the computer game Manhunt turned their son into a killer. The killer was supposedly a 'quiet and reserved' boy with a 'promising future' but every night he'd turn into some kind of twisted murderer as he used Manhunt to practice his potential murders. His mom claims that he never did anything to make her worry in the past and implies that his casual Playstation addiction was the sole cause for the murders that her twisted killer of a son conducted.

[TheMART-sucksdick]

AND??? hahahahaha whats strange about that... happens every week over here.... I hate britain full of chavs and wankers. Take me back to Canada!!!!

[Texas GMR]

Looks like we found Britain's worst parent.

Trying to blame video games for her lack of parenting skills. HAHAHA

[Pika-pie]

I agree, Britain has gone down the pan! Get me outta here.

[Caxtus750]

take me too!

[The Swordsman]

With things like tabloid newspapers and a pompus royal family in today's modern, mostly democratic world, Britain has become a joke, while, somewhat ironicly, neighbouring Ireland(my country), is gaining political power in this world and becoming richer. Still, I would prefer to live in Britain than live in the USA, where the world's dumbest primate is President.

[nice_cuppa]

as i'm thinking about killing the local gang of criminal chav cunts.

it gives me an excuse !

[Skizelli]

As I was reading the first few posts, I was waiting for someone to take a shot at the US. Didn't take very long. Dumbest primate, yes, but he's out of here come next election. Still, while our lame president may make us look bad, that's a biased assessment you just made. Furthermore, why do people have such a hard-on for the US? It's amusing to read posts from Europeans complaining about their own country, then all of the sudden the US is brought up for no good reason other than to take a cheap shot at us. It's getting old. What's so hard about getting along on a personal level? Every country has morons and the country they're from isn't to blame.

[hfaze]

Eh, I was going to go off on a political tyrate on why non-americans tend to go off on the USA, but it doesn't take much to figure that one out...

Yet another example of bad parenting. It sounds like the parents in this case let the kid go on autopilot, not giving their child enough guidance, and certainly not communicating with their kid enough...

It's parents that go out and buy their 11 year old's games that are rated M that causes this kind of uproar about video games in general. Would you go out and buy your child a movie that's rated NC-17, then let them watch it un-supervised? Same principal as buying the kid an M rated game and letting them go off to their room to play it.

[The Swordsman]

Well, it's that that primate is screwing your country and ruining your country's reputation on the global front. And even though he will be going next year, he's screwed the country on so many levels, I don't think that his successor(possibly Hilary Clinton) will be able to fix. I'm actually going to America next week, so I'll finally see if he's ruining the country as badly as I hear he is. Also, my bias against America might have been caused by one American(he may have been Canadian, but his mention of Mississippi would imply that he is American) user here, Kevin, who called my country a joke. That and, despite that fact that I called Britain a joke, before the likes of really stupid tabloid newspapers, idiotic royal family members and stupid reality television such as Big Brother, the country was good and respected.

[mbmonk]

It's a good thing you put a lot of stock in the 1 person out of an estimated 302 MILLION Americans that you met on the INTERNET, of all places, to influence you enough to have a negative bias against the people of the US.

What exactly are you expecting to see when you come here? Our country is relatively fine internally. With your attitude I hope you miss the flight to the US.

PS: Obama will win in 2008 not Mrs. Clinton

I should make a generalization about all the people where you come from based on your INTERNET posts, but I think I will hold off.

[GoLeafsGo]

People need to stop *****ing about video games.

Video games DO NOT create killers. If anything, they keep the killers IN THE GAME.

****, parents REALLY need to understand that its THEIR fault their kids act out.

And now, N4G will be run over with Jack Dumbass Thompson news claiming he was right.

[ngoniko]

yea that's like saying guns kill people, using that as an excuse to get rid of guns, now if you did get rid of guns, people going to use their fist and fight, so you want to get rid of their fist too????

NO

PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE

[sjappie]

But it sure helps a lot if they have guns lying around. Your comparison with fists is not very good since a fist isn't as deadly a weapon as a gun is.
Also facts prove that in places were there are more guns, and easier acces to them , relatively more people get murdered than in places with no or less guns and acces.
So do I think videogames are to blame for violence? No.
Do I think that legalisation and easy acces to weapons gets more people killed? Hell jeah! So in a way, guns do kill people.

[Percy]

"a fist isn't as deadly a weapon as a gun"

you must not know of a man by the name of chuck norris.

[Daishi]

Well sjappie you must have never heard of prison. With virtualy no access to guns people get killed there all the time. I'm not totaly disagreeing with you because it takes a lot more to kill someone with fists than the pull of a trigger. But that's another subject for another time.

[techie]

Do not compare this with guns. A game may have an affect on an already disturbed psychology....but a gun can frigging kill someone! Get the guns out of your country! No ifs, or buts. YOU DO NOT NEED THEM.

[sjappie]

Don't you think there are more murders in prison because maybe, I don't know, I'ts FULL OF MURDERERS AND CRIMINALS that kill people for breakfast, guns or no guns.

[clownfacemcgee]

You can say, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." But, "People don't kill people, chronic blood loss and organ failure kills people." But then, " Chronic blood loss and organ failure doesn't kill people, death kills people." Try that at a murder trial.

Anyways, the gun makes it a hell of a lot easier to kill someone. Most murders are NOT premeditated. They mostly go something like this: 2 people get into a verbal fight. They get really really angry. One storms off into the other room, grabs a gun, and kills the other person.

So, the guns really do help a lot. Also, a fist fight is a lot more fair than a gun fight. If someone robs you with his fists, he's not quite as deadly as with a gun. A gun makes for a pretty unfair fight. And a potentially lethal one.

[dantesparda]

Guns do kill people
Would you rather get punched or shot?
And people kill people
but guns make it a whole lot easier, therefore enticing many people who would not otherwise have killed you if they had to do it with their bare hands or even with a knife
Besides what else is a gun made for, other than to shoot things?

Whats next? bombs dont kill people?

[Kokoro]

the whole trick is back on full force. While yes, Games like these get people on edge, but they do not make someone a killer. A killer is a killer no matter what made him do it. You can drop a feather and a person can find a reason to kill you for that. These people are crazy from the day they were born. And from what I know, they werent born with a controller in there hands.

[unbiased]

get rid of guns and someone will stab you in the liver.
yes people kill people and guns should be kept locked away.

[MK_Red]

Our world and societies today have lots of problems (Emotional, parental, ...) but people dont want to talk aout or address them so the go for the easiest and most defenseless of them, video games instead.

Games like Manhunt have ratings and its up to parents to see wether the game is suitable for their children or not. I'm not saying that this mother is to be blamed for the tragedy but she blaming games for the murder is as stupid as gamers blaming her IMO.

Games have good and bad effects and while Manhunt may or may not have affected that boy but I'm sure there are a whole lot more important and depressing reasons behind this murder.
And, Oh my God. This will become new toy for mass media and losers like JAck Thompson.

Im sorry for the loss of the mother and victims but this is NOT the solution.

[Lyberator]

They spelled PRACTICED wrong. lol

"I knew he was playing the video games but we didn't really know what went on in them, how brutal and graphic they were."
- Then you know what, his parents should have been more vigilant. The game was rated that way for a good reason.

[timmyp53]

the kid was already a sicko just like the vtech kid.. videogames dont create killers but they help them... i guess

[Crazyglues]

Maybe the kid was sick already, and if so, did video games push him over the edge, because maybe then you can say he would have been a little crazy but would never have harmed anyone.

But because of the violence in the game he twisted it in his mind and became a lot worst and became a killer where if he never played the game he would just been sick but kept it to himself.

See I have a real hard time with this one, because in a way I want to blame the parent for not being their to see her son needs special supervision but parents can't be their 24/7 so do we blame the game.

This is a tough call, but I do blame the Parents. That game should have never been in his hands.

[johnnywit]

Crazy Glue

I'm a parent of a 2 year old and I take full responsibility of anything she were to do. You say parents can't be there 24/7 but that is the biggest excuse I have ever heard. When your kid goes off on there own they are a little version of your self. They are suppose to act the way you had raised them to act, as if it was you standing right there in their shoes. Now this only implies to normal kids. This kid on the other hand was sick and his parents should have noticed it and said something. But you will learn once you have kids, the hardest thing is admitting there is something wrong with them. Parents should take full responsibility for anything there kids do. That is why they are called kids and we(parents) are called adults.
This is the parents fault.

[BBsin]

no, your awful parenting made him a killer.

[ngoniko]

what? wtf? the only people she can blame is herself and her parenting skills.

[Wile]

your kid is a psycho and a you fail him as a parent.

[sevenout]

Kids don't turn into cold-blooded killers because of videogames or music. This bastard kid would have killed someone sooner or later. There is a world of difference between bashing someones head in with a lead pipe in real life and killing someone in a videogame. To go to that next level and kill someone, especially for no reason, requires a pure evil heart.

[Whoooop]

I think Jack Thompson is giving people some money... :)

[sumfood4u]

Manhunt created a killer boy! Mother Blames Videogames, an has a Jack Thompson Tattoo on the back of her neck! 1st question who bought this boy that game? 2nd what happened to Parenthood Dissolving? 3rd when will people start blaming themselves, instead of Machines?

[Daishi]

I find the most compeling part to be this "The trial was told how police discovered that, before the murder, Harling spent days on the internet talking to paedophiles and researching serial killers such as the infamous Dennis Nielsen." but hey I'm no psychologist it could be all the playstation's fault...

[bIadestar]

meh blame the perants for buying it for him coz he cant go and buy it in uk we got the age check shyt.

and if he was bright enuf to get 10 GCSE'S i think he would of know whats right or wrong,there just using the game as an excuse to get his sentence lowerd

[BIadestarX]

What's with news for gamer... It allows these morrons... to be able to replicate your login... so they can pretend to be you...

[schabeugen04]

Umm .. I don't know about you guys but this is just sad. I want to have a moment of silence for the victim, her Family. The little boy that did the murder and his parents for what they are going through. This is sad no matter how you look at it. We lost a human life which is never a good thing.

The persons involved in this situation has my sincerest condolences.

That is all I'm not hear to pass judgement on her theory to blame video games. I think anyone would look for a reason,given the same situation, as to why there child is a murderer.

[utendoof]

Maybe xbox people and playstation people can agree on something. ngoniko's comparision to video games and guns was very accurate in my opinion.

P.S. Jack Thompson = Jackass

[Bloodmask]

Children are shaped by their environment.

And parents are supposed to instill a good moral foundation for their kids to follow. Not to mention the parents probably bought this game for the kid.

Everybody is always looking for a scapegoat.

Face it you are a bad parent.

[Whoooop]

Soon after I played GTA, I had the urge to go outside open somebody's car door, grab him, throw him in the street and take the car..

HEYY I also played Darkness, but F*CK is been so difficult to get those demonic snakes out of my @ss so I can kill people where I live.. "Those voices are driving me insaneee".

Hey GUESS WHAT

I also played MOTORSTORM, I just booked me a fly to the grand canyon, now I just need the money to buy me an OFF-road vehicle.. I just have an itchy desire of racing in the mud with 10 more maniacs.... you know what I mean?? don't know why this is happening.. must be the games :(

I saw LAIR footage too.. MAN it's been almost 5 months now that I'm trying to get fire out of my mouth... ain't happening. imma have to forget about this one.

[PlayStation360]

you made a mistake bro. YOUR not to spew out fire from your mouth...you have to get your DRAGON to do that. I got my dragon a few months ago, had to take out a loan though. And I STILL can't get him to fly right. Burn my house a few times. lol Naw seriously, I hate it when people blame others for their own problems. Parents of the killer should be ashamed of themselves. Take reponsiblity for your own actions and your childrens actions.

[tonsoffun]

First off, the boy should not have been playing it at all, second where was the parents?

The fault of that idiot does not lye with the games manufacturers - it is with the obviously lacking parenting skills the boys parents have showed.

People are quick to assign blame elsewhere, rather than look at themselves in the mirror.

[the greatest]

you made your son a killer letting him
watch 2 much bugys bunny

[Dogswithguns]

will be a killer anyway, not becuz of videogames. So stop your nonsense.

[Marty8370]

This is complete bull.

[Skynetone]

he donned a long dark wig, sunglasses and jacket from the ‘killing kit' he had spent 10 months amassing on eBay. He then headed out with a large hunting knife.

NO SIGNS HERE PLEASE MOVE ALONG

[sjappie]

hundreds of millions of gamers that never kill people. Next time someone causes a lethal car accident, they'll be saying, "Every night he went to his darkened room and played Burnout all night, now look what he did"

[Auto426]

Why is it that every time there is a tragedy, people always have to find something or someone to blame. Her kid went out and murdered someone in cold blood, but it wasn't the kids fault. He didn't want to do it. The game forced him to do it. It literally held a gun to his head, and told him to go stab this woman...[/sarcasm]

Seriously. Why don't these people just own up to their actions. The kid had to be sick in the first place to do what he did. Millions of people have played Manhunt, and it's been out for 3 years now, yet only her kid snapped. That alone shows that it's not the game's fault.

I'm sure we will also see another lawsuit against Take Two now, since people love to sue in the face of tragedy.

[jay3]

theres been quite a few of these killings are supposedly the cause of Manhunt.

Bad parenting? The kid was playing the game for a reason, no?

Sure maybe the parents didn't know what he was playing but so what? The kid was playing the game because he thought it was cool, we kill people in games because we think it's cool, this kid got bored of the same old stuff so decided to take it to the next level. Do you think if the parents said "we dont want you playing this anymore" it would have stopped him? Hell no.

Either way, like someone else said, 2 people are traumatized, 1 person jailed for life, and another dead. Stop the fvcking blame game and be glad you weren't involved.

[Kyur4ThePain]

says the anonymous guy on a forum.

[Auron]

.

[Marriot VP]

This generation is just as crime-free than back in the 60s. Video games dull the minds and keeps the crime level lower because it distracts or deters crime.

[RyuCloudStrife]

This is BS the kid already wanted to kill somebody so playing the game gave him ideas on how to do it

[M_Prime]

why don't they ban the internet while they're at it.. i mean he did use it to look up other serial killers as well as talk to pedophiles..

also they should check the rest of his games.. maybe he had a gran turismo in there and we all know how that game can make a man kill because u know.. its a video game..

musta been a slow news day.. or a slow (in the head) reporter.. either way its all BS..

[DMLFury]

said so herself that she didn't know what was happening. Maybe if she paid a little more attention to her child, she may have realized that their was something terribly wrong with him. The woman wants to straight up blame video games for what her son did. The only person who killed that woman was the kid, and, indirectly, the parents because of "not knowing."

[SlaughterMeister]

Wow, I have never ever in my whole life heard of someone who was quiet, and kept to himself, then suddenly turned out to be a sadistic killer.

You never ever hear every night of the week stories about how so-and-so serial killer was well-liked by his neighbours, friends, family, and the community. You also never hear about how people you would never suspect to be psychotic turning out to be.

Ok, enough with the crap.

Did anyone ever think that maybe it wasn't the video games that turned him psychotic, but his psychosis that lead him to this type of video game?

I don't play Manhunt, I find is sickening and distasteful. But I sure as hell don't think it turns people into murdering psychos. I also don't watch slasher flicks for the same reason. They are sickening and distasteful (not to mention the piss-poor storylines and directing involved in those films.)

It sounds to me, this boy was neglected by his parents (the mother says numerous times how she 'never had any idea' what her son was doing,) and he gravitated to video games.

Because of the neglect, he was emotionally and psychologically scarred, leaving him in a psychopathic state. He pretended to be normal, made everyone like him, because one day he was going to go out and have his revenge. He was going to show his parents he was worth paying attention to.

Almost every night he spent alone playing video games? EVERY NIGHT!? Maybe it wasn't the games, maybe it was the fact that he was ALONE. Maybe it was the fact that his know-it-all mother never bothered to look in on him and ask "Oh hi son, what's this video game you're playing?" "Oh hi son, what's this article you're reading about deranged killers?"

What in the hell is wrong with this woman? No, screw that. What in hell is wrong with the world we live in?

I PLAY VIDEO GAMES! (GTA, Resident Evil, MGS, MORE GTA!!)

I WATCH VIOLENT MOVIES! (PULP FICTION, HEAT, FIGHT CLUB!!!)

I READ COMIC BOOKS AS A CHILD! (GHOST RIDER, SPAWN!)

I LISTEN TO HEAVY METAL! (SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, KORN!)

Oh everybody watch out, I'm about to freaking lose it! Where's my kill kit? Where's my hunting knife?

Where's the box I keep it all in that has my FULL NAME AND HOME ADDRESS ON IT!!!!??

So not only is this kid a psychopath, but he's a total freaking moron?

What video game told him to leave his name and address at the scene of the crime?

I can't believe this crap!

Ok, rant over, carry on.

lol

[sjappie]

Bubbles for you mister.

[00]

She made him a killer by buying that game and doing a bad job at peranting.

[GoLeafsGo]

Us gamers have been getting a bad rep for quite a while because people just can't own up to their actions, and frankly, it's starting to really piss me off. No, not to the point that I'll go on a GTA-esque shooting spree (WITH CHEATS :D!) or anything, but it disgusts me how we're being tohught of as the lower rung of society.

And so, I propose to any gamer out there that if you do something GOOD, ever, because you did so in a game or something, and the person thanks you, MAKE SURE YOU STATE WHY YOU DID SO. RPG fans would understand this more (because all you do is help, and help, and help the world in those games).

Let's show the world the POSITIVE effect it REALLY has had on us, rather than the negative impact some claim it's had on them.

I know I sound crazy, even desperate, but the fact is, this will NOT go away. We need to take control of the situation and prove to the world that games can be HELPFUL in a child's development.

/preaching

[ElementX]

She didn't know what kind of games her son played? My parents always checked up on me to see how I was doing and what I was playing. There is no excuse for lack of parenting. What does her son have to say? I bet he doesn't blame the game. He probably had depression and wasn't treated. I had violent thoughts before my depression was properly treated. I know right from wrong. No matter how many times I kill stuff in video games it doesn't want to make me kill people.

[Eagle Eye]

Stuff like this cant be helped thats what separates a strong mind from a weak one. I dont wanna sound harsh but its true it is easy too know right from wrong. I dont blame the parents. There is some other reason for this kind of behavior nothing to do with games and if it has to do with games then that person already had issues long before playing games.

[MyNutsYourChin]

You posted just before I did so I'm not including you when I say all. Obviously, you have more intelligence and compassion then most of these sick and shallow people.

[MyNutsYourChin]

No, the majority of people won't go off and kill others because of a video game but for any of you to say that it isn't possible shows your ignorance to reality. Open your eyes, things are not absolute.

All of the above comments show a serious lack of concern for another's opinion surrounding a very real, highly traumatic, and fatally serious happening. The only apparent concern in the above comments are for a video game, a f*cking meaningless video game! You all show more compassion toward a video game then to any of the people affected by this unfortunate event. I feel disgusted and embarassed to even interact with you selfish and incompassionate f*cks. People have died, show some respect.

[PlayStation360]

I understand what ur trying to say. But man, that was harsh. We all know people have died, and the family who has lost a loved one has my deepest condolences. But using those foul languages is not needed to show your point. The reason most gamers here are angered is because instances here give us gamers a bad stereotypical view in the publics eyes. That all us gamers are ticking time bombs ready to go off. And blaming a horrific act solely on a video game is wrong.

Just so u know, I'm replying to u because u said "ALL OF THE ABOVE COMMENTS show a serious lack of concern for another's opinion surrounding a very real, highly traumatic, and fatally serious happening... I feel disgusted and embarassed to even interact with YOU SELFISH AND INCOMPASSIONATE F*CKS." So I feel you directed your comment towards me. I know most/all of us should show more respect, but disrespecting us in return with that language should not or ever be your responsibility.

But what the heck, just so u know there is no animosity between us, I'll agree with u.

[Rute]

Well, I agree with you on the first chapter and the lack of perspective when defending a videogame when a life is lost. However, no matter what the case is with Manhunt's influence, the parents are the ones who bought the game for the boy. Am I accusing the parents for the murder? No. I'm accusing them for giving an M-rated game for a kid.

I feel bad for the parents, but when these stories surface, it also has to be stated clearly that what the parents did was wrong.

[GoLeafsGo]

It's not caring about a game; it's about making sure morons all over the world begin killing people and using such a thing as an excuse.
That doesn't get anyone anywhere.

Moreover, a billion condolences would not bring a person back, but finding out the REAL reason why someone killed them, might atleast provide SOME sort of closure.

I know I'm being harsh, but the fact is, if this kind of thing is allowed to go on, only more deaths will follow [God forbid].
If you CAN, however, show that the boy did so on his own, and that such an excuse WAS, in fact, just a scapegoat, then maybe others will think about what they're doing before they claim someone's life and decide to blame it on ANY form of entertainment.

Lastly, I send my condolences to the family, and hope that God [whichever religion they believe in] helps them in their time of need, and that they may heal from such a tragic event.

And also, my apologies for discussing the event's game-related topic over considering the fact that someone has passed on.

Maybe I've become more a gamer than human.....and hopefully, won't follow suit like these turdbags.

[BaMYouRDeaD]

There is only one thing to blame for this. The parents. Whether it is bad influence from a movie, game, book, music, etc., it won't have any affect on a child if they are taught good from evil, and are kept under control. Bad parenting is all that there is to blame here. Plus, how do they even know that Manhunt was the cause of this. According to the article, the parents just assumed that their psychopath of a child was being influenced by Manhunt. There is no solid evidence.

I feel very sorry for the nurse who was slaughtered, and her family, but that will not keep me from realizing who really is at fault here.

[Eagle Eye]

I know nothing is absolute. I think why people mostly get upset is when stuff like this happens the gaming world will get heat. And I didnt mean no disrespect to the family and victims.

Edit: Looks like we posted the same time again and thanks.

[Rute]

I'm getting tired of these parents dodging responsibility. The mom said the following: "For a long time I didn't even realise games had age limits on them. We'd just buy him the game that all the other kids had."

Ignorance is never an adequate excuse for anything. That's like saying "Gee, I gave my 6-yr old boy a chainsaw and I never thought he'd hurt himself with it". It's a particularly stupid reason because the age limit is slapped on the cover of games! Is she illiterate? And buying a game named "Manhunt" for a little boy when he says his friends have it is just a sign of severe retardation or total negligence. I think it's the latter.

[M_Prime]

well he was 18 when he did this so the rating would not really apply to him.. but then again manhunt was out when he was like 16 so i guess..

but still ur right.. the mom pretty much admitted she was ignorant of the fact that there are ratings or anything is wrong..

and once they hit 18 the parents can't really be held accountable.. unless it was something that happened during childhood. in my eyes at least.. i mean he is an adult and knew the consequences of his actions.. though it amazes me how stupid he is that he left his address on his 'kit' whne he ditched it