Manhunt blamed for UK murder

No_Style · Jul 30, 2004, 03:46 AM

Britain's top game retailer yanks the controversial Rockstar game after a teenage player kills.

Months after the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City "Kill all the Haitians!" uproar finally fizzled out, Rockstar Games has another controversy on its hands. In the UK, the parents of a teenage murder victim have blamed the crime on the Rockstar game Manhunt. The parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, said their son was lured to a park by a 17-year-old player of the game, who stabbed and beat their son to death with a knife and claw hammer.

"When one looks at what Warren did to Stephan and looks at the brutality and viciousness of the game, one can see links," Stefan's mother told the BBC. Stefan's father was more specific, telling Reuters, "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. If games like this influence kids, they should be taken off the shelves."
_______________
Read More/Source: Gamespot

dipstick · Jul 30, 2004, 03:51 AM

People are just so freakin retarded. Yea, the game made him kill....sure thing

Always trying to make a quick buck.

jsx[ifl] · Jul 30, 2004, 04:04 AM

quick buck? their son was just brutally murdered...they just want to justify his death. But i definetly dont think it was the videogames fault, this claim is getting old...each time a young child kills someone they link it to a video game, if it were true there'd be alot more murders and brutal killings.

TwistedMetal · Jul 30, 2004, 04:09 AM

When the parents don't want to take blame for raising their child poorly. They either blame it on the game or music industry.

dipstick · Jul 30, 2004, 04:17 AM

How can you justify a murder like that?

jsx[ifl] · Jul 30, 2004, 04:25 AM

Now just how is this the parents fault? The parents blaming rockstar are the parents of the victim. Its their fault that someone was able to take their child and beat his head in with a hammer. And as for the justify thing, what I mean is they don't want their sons death to be for nothing; their trying to put a purpous to it, in this case trying to tone down video game violence...again its not a fight i would start but if my child was murdered like that id want there to be some changes too.

Pyrot · Jul 30, 2004, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TwistedMetal
When the parents don't want to take blame for raising their child poorly. They either blame it on the game or music industry.

Why should the poor 14yo boy be raised poorly ? HIS parents are blaming Rockstar or did you mean the parents of the murderer ?

dipstick · Jul 30, 2004, 04:28 AM

Dude, its my right to be able to buy games full of gore and death if I so wish to. Like I said, if you dont want your kid playing them, dont neglect him and what he does with his time. Their son just crossed paths with a psycho, not sure how they can make things better

jsx[ifl] · Jul 30, 2004, 04:33 AM

I'm not denying your right to buy violent games at all. I'm saying its a terrible thing that happened and i can understand what the parents are feeling. And this boy was 17, at that age i doubt anyones parents are gonna monitor his every action and what hes playing...you'd think he'd be mature enough to handle it

technonerd · Jul 30, 2004, 04:38 AM

Know what stupid, Parent let thier kid to play Manhunt, now the parent blame on them. Seeesh, why they let them play manhumt at the first place?

Pyrot · Jul 30, 2004, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by technonerd
Know what stupid, Parent let thier kid to play Manhunt, now the parent blame on them. Seeesh, why they let them play manhumt at the first place?

You don´t get it at all right ? Please read the article again and maybe the comments too!

TwistedMetal · Jul 30, 2004, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pyrot
Why should the poor 14yo boy be raised poorly ? HIS parents are blaming Rockstar or did you mean the parents of the murderer ?

The parents of the murderer, if my child was murdered I doubt I would stand much of a chance againist a gaming company, I would go after the parents of the murderer. I doubt much would happen going up againist Rockstar. The parents that are going after Rockstar must not be very smart or their lawyer. I would bet anything ManHunt sales are up, this is some good PR for Rockstar. I doubt many heard about ManHunt til now and now they probably want to get the game to see what it's like.

Really they aren't going to help much, but they sure are making it worse. They should realize that a video game isn't the cause, it's the parents.

Dom · Jul 30, 2004, 05:09 AM

Total BS!

TwistedMetal · Jul 30, 2004, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dom
Total BS!

Well said for only 2 words.

**MIG-31** · Jul 30, 2004, 06:21 AM

the game did not make him kill it is simple as that.the person involved simply were a disturbed person and most likely would of killed sooner or later.

there has been several attempts in the past involving court cases that have simply been thrown out of court.reason no evidence to back it up.

the games and even films that contain violence is used as a scape goat.

murder has been committed through the history of man kind,violent games/films have not.doesn't that say anything.

Judas · Jul 30, 2004, 07:05 AM

whoa... were's the thread in the game forums.... who was it that called "6 months down the road from now" or similare.... someone.... some people should be shot...

jsx[ifl] · Jul 30, 2004, 07:14 AM

huh?

germanjulian · Jul 30, 2004, 09:41 AM

The Daily Mail newspaper had on its front page the following title: BAN THESE CRUAL BRUTAL GAMES" balh blah....

kelston · Jul 30, 2004, 09:59 AM

Quote:

The parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, said their son was lured to a park

I'd blame the victim's parents as well. I don't know about the rest of you, but when I was 14, I didn't feel the need to follow anyone I met online anywhere. I'm not advocating the parents strictly monitor the activity of the 14 year old, cause my parents didn't and I sure ain't dead from naive stupidity.

The kid's parents probably bought him a computer so they didn't have to care. The PC or a video game console is the greatest tool of absentee parenting, a theory and a practice that has been proven time and time again to not work well.

dsdsdk · Jul 30, 2004, 10:18 AM

remove games from shelves?! we got stickers for cigarettes, Smoking kills. why not put them on cars, driving kills, on planes, on bicycles, on alcohol.... ban games, ban driving, ban flying... ban the whole lot!
are more ppl kill by games or by driving?! this is so much like the McD lawsuits. i got fat cause i ate a ton of McD, and they made me eat it?!

i play violent games and i dont feel like killing pll, i smoke, i drive, i drink (not while driving)... so there must have been something wrong in this kid's head... or is it me? maybe i'm unique cause i dont get the eminent urge to kill after playing vgames.. hmm food for thought? not really

human nature is to point out a culprit and that is what they are doing. i dont think it's done for making fast bucks.

ps. and no i'm not saying legalize drugs, just that things are fine just the way they are.

Zardon · Jul 30, 2004, 10:19 AM

The murderered childs parents are hurting so bad they need to find a "reason" - they cant believe their dead sons friend killed him in this way so they need to find a higher source to pass the blame onto. Sometimes in life there are no "reasons" and even when you find the reason its unacceptable. It will take his parents a long time to get over this.

The facts are this, the murderer was involved in a gang and took hard drugs, his parents had no control over him and didnt really care enough (for whatever reasons) to get him into professional help and he was obviously not monitored as he had weapons and drugs in his possession. I read about his past, he was always an introvert, quiet but prone to extreme outbursts of violence when provoked with minor situations. This already was a good sign he had mental issues.

It has always happened, from horror films to metal music, something else has to be blamed for the actions of a disturbed or mentally ill person because the mass public have very little education or knowledge in regards to illnesses of the mind.

They have just found a new scapegoat, computer games.

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jul 30, 2004, 10:21 AM

Sesame street made me kill

See sounds stupid don't it................

tastyweat · Jul 30, 2004, 10:24 AM

I remember seeing this article in the newspapers yesterday - what a load of bullcrap! Plus - one of the things that they keep saying throughout the article is - "this game should not be sold to children" and "we should not allow these games to be sold to children" etc.... well why they hell do you think that it has a 18 certificate on it ffs?

dsdsdk · Jul 30, 2004, 10:26 AM

hehe neon, yup it does!

Rambo made me go killing spree on my high school!! darn that movie!

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jul 30, 2004, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dsdsdk
hehe neon, yup it does!

Rambo made me go killing spree on my high school!! darn that movie!

Ive been exposed to 100 times the game violence (including that game) that kid has and i've not killed a single person yet...

(wistles.... kicks bloody knife under the couch) j/k

Al_Vampyre · Jul 30, 2004, 10:56 AM

Here we go again, people seem to have lost the concept of personal responsibility completely. In court the killer admitted that he had lured the victim with the intent of robbing him! So obviously his sense of morality was up the creek anyway...

The BBC website also quoted a behavioral psychologist saying that living out what we see on TV or in the media, is usually something that we grow out of by the age of 8, considering the fact that Manhunt is an '18' licensed game this guy shouldn't have been playing it anyway...

If the responsibility lies anywhere, it lies with the mother for not knowing/caring what her son was up to!

/rant mode off!

ViRuS2k · Jul 30, 2004, 12:25 PM

i cant get over the typical crap that happens in every day life.
i now its harsh but you have to get over it you dont go kill someone sheesh i watched ted bundy last night ,
that does not give me the instinctiveness to go out and hit people over the head with hammers and crowbars.
i cant get over how the famely would allow him to play 18 rated game(s) this world is a crazy place we are living in
parents should take responsability for what ever reason if there son commits a murder
(i Blame the parents)
if he was taken care of more he wouldnt have such killing thoughts.
and for the fameliy of the son that died my heart goes out to them

also kids genraly are not being taken care of well around our end of the street kids just do as they please swear at adults get up to all kinds of mister meaners. its out right a total shit hole and parents dont seems to have the slightest idea it gets me so annoyed.

also children get away with murder becuse there under age ect (not real murder)
(you know the saying)

anyway thats my thoughts.

Zeepra · Jul 30, 2004, 12:40 PM

I wouldnt believe it to be fair to point fingers at one certain element that led to this tradegy. I, for one, believe it to be a culmination of things, his upbringing, how he was doing in school and socially. The thing is, a lot could have been going wrong for this kid at the some, so much so that it led to the murder of some other kid.

So for the parents to blame the "industry" is in my mind fair enough - though the way they do it is not right. They have created for much "fuzz" about this game - that even I feel the urge to try it (nope..have not played it yet) - so it is bound to get more popular because - hey! If this game leads to people killing eachother it MUST be cool! A class-action lawsuit or something would have been more fair, though behind closed doors.

(and for that facts about violence in games.... some tests were performed on eight-year-olds, and they were exposed to first violent games, then some mindless adventure games. Test showed that boys were virtually unaffected by the violent games, and that the girls involved in the test were more aggressive and violent afterwards. - only thing i picked up after 1 year of psychology at my school

)

My Two Cents

EcPercy · Jul 30, 2004, 01:28 PM

What I am wondering is how the victim's parents were able to figure out that it was the game's fault. How did they even know what games the killer has???

kalx · Jul 30, 2004, 04:08 PM

Why is this woman not being punished for bad parenting?

she lets her son play 18 rated games for 9 hours a day ( quoted on news)

no sympathy at all, the boy was a killer , society duidint cause this he wa sjust treated badly by his parents nothign else , this is just a another ploy to let another murderer off.

Jul 30, 2004, 03:46 AM	#1
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,034 Rep Power: 0	Manhunt blamed for UK murder Britain's top game retailer yanks the controversial Rockstar game after a teenage player kills. Months after the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City "Kill all the Haitians!" uproar finally fizzled out, Rockstar Games has another controversy on its hands. In the UK, the parents of a teenage murder victim have blamed the crime on the Rockstar game Manhunt. The parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, said their son was lured to a park by a 17-year-old player of the game, who stabbed and beat their son to death with a knife and claw hammer. "When one looks at what Warren did to Stephan and looks at the brutality and viciousness of the game, one can see links," Stefan's mother told the BBC. Stefan's father was more specific, telling Reuters, "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. If games like this influence kids, they should be taken off the shelves." _______________ Read More/Source: Gamespot

Jul 30, 2004, 04:04 AM	#3
jsx[ifl] DH's Unofficial Hero Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Montreal Posts: 650 Rep Power: 0	quick buck? their son was just brutally murdered...they just want to justify his death. But i definetly dont think it was the videogames fault, this claim is getting old...each time a young child kills someone they link it to a video game, if it were true there'd be alot more murders and brutal killings. __________________ [color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray] [/color][/color] [/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color]

Jul 30, 2004, 04:09 AM	#4
TwistedMetal MC John-117 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 728 Rep Power: 0	When the parents don't want to take blame for raising their child poorly. They either blame it on the game or music industry. __________________ [color=red][/color]

Jul 30, 2004, 04:25 AM	#6
jsx[ifl] DH's Unofficial Hero Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Montreal Posts: 650 Rep Power: 0	Now just how is this the parents fault? The parents blaming rockstar are the parents of the victim. Its their fault that someone was able to take their child and beat his head in with a hammer. And as for the justify thing, what I mean is they don't want their sons death to be for nothing; their trying to put a purpous to it, in this case trying to tone down video game violence...again its not a fight i would start but if my child was murdered like that id want there to be some changes too. __________________ [color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray] [/color][/color] [/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color]

Jul 30, 2004, 04:33 AM	#9
jsx[ifl] DH's Unofficial Hero Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Montreal Posts: 650 Rep Power: 0	I'm not denying your right to buy violent games at all. I'm saying its a terrible thing that happened and i can understand what the parents are feeling. And this boy was 17, at that age i doubt anyones parents are gonna monitor his every action and what hes playing...you'd think he'd be mature enough to handle it __________________ [color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray] [/color][/color] [/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color]

Jul 30, 2004, 03:51 AM	#2
dipstick HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 3,609 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	People are just so freakin retarded. Yea, the game made him kill....sure thing Always trying to make a quick buck.

Jul 30, 2004, 04:17 AM	#5
dipstick HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 3,609 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	How can you justify a murder like that?

Jul 30, 2004, 04:28 AM	#8
dipstick HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 3,609 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	Dude, its my right to be able to buy games full of gore and death if I so wish to. Like I said, if you dont want your kid playing them, dont neglect him and what he does with his time. Their son just crossed paths with a psycho, not sure how they can make things better

Jul 30, 2004, 04:38 AM	#10
technonerd DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 594 Rep Power: 0	Know what stupid, Parent let thier kid to play Manhunt, now the parent blame on them. Seeesh, why they let them play manhumt at the first place?

Jul 30, 2004, 05:09 AM	#13
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Total BS!

Jul 30, 2004, 06:21 AM	#15
MIG-31 HardwareHeaven News Mod Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham,UK Posts: 56,854 Rep Power: 471 System Specs	the game did not make him kill it is simple as that.the person involved simply were a disturbed person and most likely would of killed sooner or later. there has been several attempts in the past involving court cases that have simply been thrown out of court.reason no evidence to back it up. the games and even films that contain violence is used as a scape goat. murder has been committed through the history of man kind,violent games/films have not.doesn't that say anything. __________________ Please Post Your News Submissions Here

Jul 30, 2004, 07:14 AM	#17
jsx[ifl] DH's Unofficial Hero Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Montreal Posts: 650 Rep Power: 0	huh? __________________ [color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray][color=DarkRed][color=Gray] [/color][/color] [/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color]

Jul 30, 2004, 09:41 AM	#18
germanjulian Back in London Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: London Posts: 1,797 Rep Power: 0	The Daily Mail newspaper had on its front page the following title: BAN THESE CRUAL BRUTAL GAMES" balh blah.... __________________ /\|\ Asus P5W DH Deluxe, Intel C2D E6600, 2GB Corsair XMS2-6400C4 DDR2, E-VGA GeForce 7800 GT, Creative X-Fi Extreme Music, 500GB Seagate 7200.10 SATA, Lian Li PC-V1100 Aluminum Case Black, etc. http://germanjulian.com /\|\

Jul 30, 2004, 10:18 AM	#20
dsdsdk DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Denmark, CPH. Posts: 586 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	remove games from shelves?! we got stickers for cigarettes, Smoking kills. why not put them on cars, driving kills, on planes, on bicycles, on alcohol.... ban games, ban driving, ban flying... ban the whole lot! are more ppl kill by games or by driving?! this is so much like the McD lawsuits. i got fat cause i ate a ton of McD, and they made me eat it?! i play violent games and i dont feel like killing pll, i smoke, i drive, i drink (not while driving)... so there must have been something wrong in this kid's head... or is it me? maybe i'm unique cause i dont get the eminent urge to kill after playing vgames.. hmm food for thought? not really human nature is to point out a culprit and that is what they are doing. i dont think it's done for making fast bucks. ps. and no i'm not saying legalize drugs, just that things are fine just the way they are.

Jul 30, 2004, 10:19 AM	#21
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	The murderered childs parents are hurting so bad they need to find a "reason" - they cant believe their dead sons friend killed him in this way so they need to find a higher source to pass the blame onto. Sometimes in life there are no "reasons" and even when you find the reason its unacceptable. It will take his parents a long time to get over this. The facts are this, the murderer was involved in a gang and took hard drugs, his parents had no control over him and didnt really care enough (for whatever reasons) to get him into professional help and he was obviously not monitored as he had weapons and drugs in his possession. I read about his past, he was always an introvert, quiet but prone to extreme outbursts of violence when provoked with minor situations. This already was a good sign he had mental issues. It has always happened, from horror films to metal music, something else has to be blamed for the actions of a disturbed or mentally ill person because the mass public have very little education or knowledge in regards to illnesses of the mind. They have just found a new scapegoat, computer games.

Jul 30, 2004, 10:21 AM	#22
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	Sesame street made me kill See sounds stupid don't it................ __________________

Jul 30, 2004, 10:24 AM	#23
tastyweat Lurking Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The void Posts: 4,794 Rep Power: 75 System Specs	I remember seeing this article in the newspapers yesterday - what a load of bullcrap! Plus - one of the things that they keep saying throughout the article is - "this game should not be sold to children" and "we should not allow these games to be sold to children" etc.... well why they hell do you think that it has a 18 certificate on it ffs? __________________

Jul 30, 2004, 10:26 AM	#24
dsdsdk DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Denmark, CPH. Posts: 586 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	hehe neon, yup it does! Rambo made me go killing spree on my high school!! darn that movie!

Jul 30, 2004, 10:56 AM	#26
Al_Vampyre HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,532 Rep Power: 72 System Specs	Here we go again, people seem to have lost the concept of personal responsibility completely. In court the killer admitted that he had lured the victim with the intent of robbing him! So obviously his sense of morality was up the creek anyway... The BBC website also quoted a behavioral psychologist saying that living out what we see on TV or in the media, is usually something that we grow out of by the age of 8, considering the fact that Manhunt is an '18' licensed game this guy shouldn't have been playing it anyway... If the responsibility lies anywhere, it lies with the mother for not knowing/caring what her son was up to! /rant mode off! __________________ "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad" - Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland Rugby Team 2009 Grand Slam winning Captain.

Jul 30, 2004, 12:25 PM	#27
ViRuS2k HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Uk Posts: 8,334 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	i cant get over the typical crap that happens in every day life. i now its harsh but you have to get over it you dont go kill someone sheesh i watched ted bundy last night , that does not give me the instinctiveness to go out and hit people over the head with hammers and crowbars. i cant get over how the famely would allow him to play 18 rated game(s) this world is a crazy place we are living in parents should take responsability for what ever reason if there son commits a murder (i Blame the parents) if he was taken care of more he wouldnt have such killing thoughts. and for the fameliy of the son that died my heart goes out to them also kids genraly are not being taken care of well around our end of the street kids just do as they please swear at adults get up to all kinds of mister meaners. its out right a total shit hole and parents dont seems to have the slightest idea it gets me so annoyed. also children get away with murder becuse there under age ect (not real murder) (you know the saying) anyway thats my thoughts. Last edited by ViRuS2k; Jul 30, 2004 at 12:30 PM.

Jul 30, 2004, 12:40 PM	#28
Zeepra DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Odense :D in Denmark Posts: 37 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I wouldnt believe it to be fair to point fingers at one certain element that led to this tradegy. I, for one, believe it to be a culmination of things, his upbringing, how he was doing in school and socially. The thing is, a lot could have been going wrong for this kid at the some, so much so that it led to the murder of some other kid. So for the parents to blame the "industry" is in my mind fair enough - though the way they do it is not right. They have created for much "fuzz" about this game - that even I feel the urge to try it (nope..have not played it yet) - so it is bound to get more popular because - hey! If this game leads to people killing eachother it MUST be cool! A class-action lawsuit or something would have been more fair, though behind closed doors. (and for that facts about violence in games.... some tests were performed on eight-year-olds, and they were exposed to first violent games, then some mindless adventure games. Test showed that boys were virtually unaffected by the violent games, and that the girls involved in the test were more aggressive and violent afterwards. - only thing i picked up after 1 year of psychology at my school ) My Two Cents __________________ "The biggest, the best - better than the rest.." -Clawfinger

Jul 30, 2004, 01:28 PM	#29
EcPercy HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Iraq Posts: 1,535 Rep Power: 0	What I am wondering is how the victim's parents were able to figure out that it was the game's fault. How did they even know what games the killer has???

Jul 30, 2004, 04:08 PM	#30
kalx DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Evil Mountain Lair Posts: 248 Rep Power: 0	Why is this woman not being punished for bad parenting? she lets her son play 18 rated games for 9 hours a day ( quoted on news) no sympathy at all, the boy was a killer , society duidint cause this he wa sjust treated badly by his parents nothign else , this is just a another ploy to let another murderer off. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------> AMD FX51 / 2x OCZ 400 mhz 512MB DDR /ATi Radeon X800pro /19 inch DVI - - - - - - ---------------------------------------------------->