Murder tore Milly's family to shreds, and the legal jackals feasted on what was left...

If the killing of their sparkling 13-year-old daughter had not broken the hearts of the Dowler family quite enough, any pieces that were left were further stamped all over at the trial of her killer Levi Bellfield.

As the redoubtable Louise Casey – a commissioner and advocate for victims and witnesses – said, no one can think what that family went through in the courtroom is right.

More significantly, she pointed out that this is not an isolated case.

Heartbreaking: The Dowler family speaking outside the Old Bailey - daughter Gemma Dowler (middle) said she felt her parents were on trial

Heartbreaking: The Dowler family speaking outside the Old Bailey - daughter Gemma Dowler (middle) said she felt her parents were on trial

She has met many families of murdered loved ones who have found the trial process deeply traumatic.

To hear Gemma Dowler say the first two days of the trial, during which she and her parents were not allowed to communicate with each other, were 'probably worse' than the day her sister went missing, is deeply shocking.

The police have apologised for their mistakes, the biggest being not following up on information from Rachel Cowles, whom Bellfield allegedly tried to abduct the day before he took Milly. She talked of a 'chubby' man in a red car.

Jailed: Levi Bellfield is now serving two life sentences

Jailed: Levi Bellfield is now serving two life sentences

This abduction attempt will now not go to trial due to what defence lawyers called, understatedly, 'adverse publicity'.

Indeed, the knowledge that Bellfield is a serial killer may prejudice the jury.

He was already in prison for the murder of two women and the attempted murder of another when he went to trial for the murder of Milly.

Innocent until proven guilty. This I understand, but why he was allowed to instruct his lawyers to assassinate a teenager's character is beyond me.

As the judge said, his lawyers exposed 'to the world her most private, adolescent thoughts, secrets and worries'.

Bellfield kept handing notes to his team.

The message was that Milly was not the vivacious girl we had seen dancing around while ironing, but troubled.

To which we must say: So what?

She wrote notes saying she hated herself and her parents favoured her sister, along with lists of boys she fancied.

A typical 13-year-old, surely. And even if she wasn't, what is the implication here? That she should be raped and murdered?

Her father sobbed as this was read out and he admitted to having porn and bondage gear in the house. He had at one point been a suspect.

Her mother was interrogated to try to show theirs was not a happy family life.

She was asked of her dead child: 'She had demons, did she not?' First-aiders came in when the poor woman collapsed. The jurors were extremely upset.

When the sentence was handed down to Bellfield, he merely yawned. Gemma wailed.

Out of this horror, might we learn something? Bellfield was a man with a long and terrible history of sexual violence.

On trial: Sally Dowler (left) said she felt as though she was 'interrogated' during the murder trial of her daughter Milly (right)
On trial: Sally Dowler (left) said she felt as though she was 'interrogated' during the murder trial of her daughter Milly (right)

On trial: Sally Dowler (left) said she felt as though she was 'interrogated' during the murder trial of her daughter Milly (right)

He boasted frequently to work-mates of raping teenagers. His brutalised ex-partners were too terrified to go to the police, but why did none of his colleagues?

Such silence allowed him to go on killing.

We may also have to think about the privacy of witnesses, and not treat them as criminals.

Barristers have a code of conduct. They cannot ask whatever they like. We know only too well what happens in rape trials where a woman's reputation is torn to shreds.

In this case, Milly's and her parents' were. To what purpose?

Privacy: Suzanne Moore says the treatment of Bob Dowler during court proceedings (pictured here with Milly) was a disgrace

Privacy: Suzanne Moore says the treatment of Bob Dowler during court proceedings (pictured here with Milly) was a disgrace

Part of the barristers' code reads that 'they must exercise personal judgment upon the substance and purpose of statements made and questions asked'.

Another part of the code says they must not ask or state things 'which are merely scandalous or intended .  .  . to vilify, insult or annoy either a witness or some other person'.

All barristers who defend murderers and sex offenders have to make judgments about these things.

But how was suggesting that Milly was suicidal adhering to this code? How was telling this child's mother she was basically deluded helpful in defending the man who was found guilty of murder?

The invasion of privacy of the witnesses here is indefensible.

Milly's unclothed body was found eventually and her bones had been chewed over by all kinds of animals.

That, in order for her killer to be convicted, a normal teenage melodrama was made public and accusatory, as these jackals gnawed what is left of her family, is simply a disgrace.

Amazing Michelle is a force of nature

Michelle Obama is turning into as good an orator as her husband.

And that is really saying something. In a tremendously powerful speech to girls in Soweto, the First Lady touched on many aspects of the anti-apartheid struggle, citing the heroic campaigners Albertina and Walter Sisulu among others.

She quoted an old freedom song, 'When you strike a woman, you strike a rock', and told the girls to grab their chance at education and to be fully engaged citizens.

Power: Michelle Obama in South Africa

Power: Michelle Obama in South Africa

Most impressively, she was fearless in talking about fighting not just AIDS but the stigma around it.

She told these girls: 'Violence against women in any place – including the home – especially the home – that isn't just a women's rights violation. It's a human rights violation.'

Then she went round doing her special hugging, which somehow she makes seem absolutely genuine.

Just when CAN we have a drink?

A new problem for the over-65s is not, as you may have thought, pensions – no, it's having more than one glass of wine a day!

Really, are there not better things to worry about?

If anyone reaches their 70s in one piece, they may well feel it's up to them.
Some of us may even look forward to a half-sozzled old age.

At what point are we deemed to be able to judge this for ourselves? At the point where we may get dementia?

I find this as helpful as that £6 million campaign explaining to women of my age that wine had alcohol in it!

I bloody well hope so or I would have to ask for an awful lot of money back.
She is an amazing force of nature.

Stylists dream -delivery nightmare

I can't say I am surprised at the news about Habitat. Has anyone tried to buy anything there recently?

They never have enough staff, and if you go online you are in some stylist's dream, ie a muddling nightmare.

The last time I tried to buy a sofa, I was breezily told it may come in two months.

They've brought in lots of clever designers, but they never designed staff to help customers or furniture that could be delivered any time soon.

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