We would all win by allowing his death
Despite the horror of his crimes, the murder of five children, Ian Brady nurses hopes of release from prison. He makes no great claims for his rehabilitation. He instead, wishes only for his life to end. His next mental health tribunal will be held in public, after the establishment of a legal precedent. For years he has argued for a transfer from Ashworth high security psychiatric hospital, in Merseyside, to a Scottish prison where he would be allowed to refuse food, and die. Oddly, even those who want capital punishment back are reluctant to allow Brady what he wants. His desire for death is a sign of his suffering in life, a sign that the humanity of rejecting the death penalty can sometimes be even less humane than the barbaric alternative. Because he is a psychopath, there is no possibility that guilt causes his misery. He is incurably inhumane, unempathetic. Nevertheless, he asks for empathy, for humane treatment. It feels as if this is his last laugh, as he reminds the rest of us that, while we could not enforce the end of a life, as he did, our enforcement of life is merciless, a way to find comfort in another person's suffering. By letting him die, we all win. By making him live, we all lose.