By Gavin Mackintosh-
Family members of the victim’s of Sutcliffe have lambasted a true-crime documentary looking at the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe for glorifying the late serial murderer
Nexflix is due to release the documentary entitled ‘The Ripper’ on 16 December and the documentary promises to look at the Sutcliffe’s savage killing spree across the North and the police’s struggle to apprehend him.
However, the grieving families of Sutcliffe’s victims have spoken out against the upcoming series after the name was changed from One Upon a Time in Yorkshire to The Ripper.
When relatives originally agreed to take part in the documentary about Sutcliffe, who died aged 74 last month, the title of the film was ‘Once Upon a Time in Yorkshire’.
In an open letter shared with The Sunday Times, the family members say that the “the Yorkshire Ripper” moniker “has traumatised us and out families for the past four decades”.
“It glorifies the brutal violence of Peter Sutcliffe, and grants him a celebrity status that he does not deserve.
Trauma
Marcella Claxton and Mo Lea, and relatives of seven of Sutcliffe’s victims, they said: “The moniker “the Yorkshire Ripper” has traumatised us and our families for the past four decades.
“It glorifies the brutal violence of Peter Sutcliffe, and grants him a celebrity status that he does not deserve. Please remember that the word ‘ripper’ relates to ripping flesh and the repeated use of this phrase is irresponsible, insensitive and insulting to our families and our mothers’ and grandmothers’ legacies.”
Richard McCann, the son of Sutcliffe’s first victim Wilma, posted the open letter on Linkedin, where it generated a huge outpouring of support, with many urging Netflix to ‘do the right thing.’
In response to the letter, a Netflix spokesperson has defended the documentary saying: “This is not a series about Sutcliffe but a sensitive re-examination of the crimes within the context of England in the late 1970s.
“This was a time of radical change: a time of poverty and misogyny in which Sutcliffe’s victims were dehumanised by the media and the police, and which resulted in the perpetrator evading capture for five years. This series has at its heart the stories of the women who died.”
The official synopsis for the Netflix series reads: “For five years, between 1975 to 1980, the Yorkshire Ripper murders cast a dark shadow over the lives of women in the North of England. It was a time of national hysteria. 13 women were dead and the police seemed incapable of catching the killer. No one felt safe – and every man was a suspect.
The letter states: “Please remember that the word ‘ripper’ relates to ripping flesh and the repeated use of this phrase is irresponsible, insensitive and insulting to our families and our mothers’ and grandmothers’ legacies,” the letter reads.
Sutcliff’s brother, Mick, told the Mirror that the notorious killer’s ashes were delivered to him before be divided the powder into two piled – boxed them up – and took them to the post office.
They were sent by special delivery to two of the Ripper’s friends.
Mick, 70, said that he did not want to hold on to his brother’s remains and, because of his own ill-health, he was unable to scatter them.
The ashes had arrived last week, inside a plain plastic bag placed in a box.