Whether it is bad publicity for Facebook or for the teenagers involved in this case, Judges and Journalists in The Netherlands have openly discussed and vehiculated the news on what is already known as the Facebook Murder (in Dutch called the Facebook-moorder).

Today, the Public Prosecutor in Arnhem, The Netherlands, has required 12 months youth detention against the main suspect in the murder of 15-year-old  Winsie Hau, stabbed at the door of her own house on January 14th, 2012 by 15-year-old Jinhua K,  who was only 14 at the time. According rumors, he received 100 euros to kill the girl, after receiving orders from Joyce Winsie's friend Polly and her boy friend. Joyce 'Winsie' paid with her life for having quarelled and shared her angry remarks against her best friend Polly on Facebook and other Social Media channels.

Joyce "Winsie" Hau's parents, Chinese-Dutch citizens, were also friends of Polly's parents and according the reporterTheo Verbruggen from NOS Niews, there were only losers in the Arnhem's Court today.

The Judge W. Vierveijzer have taken the unnusual decision to make the case public , when there are laws protecting the privacy of minors in The Netherlands and within the European Union. She informed that her decision was taken considering that the importance of the public interest overcomes the  private interest of the young people involved.

The whole tragic and horrible murder that was planned away in advance last December 2011 and executed at January 14, 2012, by three young people has shocked Winsie's parents as her father revealed in an interview to Gezond 24 by the Avro TV, " I have no words to describe it".

Such events, probably leaves many of us speechless as well and with many unanswered questions:

How are we educating our children? Do our schools offer our children compulsory classes on Social Media Behavior? How can we prevent children to become murderers? Should Facebook allow children of 15 to become members of the social network? Can we punish these teenage murderers without questioning the role of society and the unlimitted freedom of Social Media? Everybody talks about the role of Facebook, but what is the role of the authorities that haven't yet established guidelines for teenagers and Social Media? Should we take the Social Media to the divans of Psychiatrists and Psychologists or should we request the whole society to question, our own society's capacity to educate and change our Social Media behavior and that of our own children?

This case is very important as it shows that not only young, adults and ordinary people are loosing the sense of privacy, limits, and common sense, but also our public institutions are following the "roller coaster ride" of the Social Media. Furthermore, it shows that even though we all have been writing and reading about it, there are many aspects of it that has yet to be studied and regulated. The Social Media has affected our society in such a way that it has now an impact not only in the private sfear but also in our legal system.

Further question to the community:

Does it mean that Facebook or the Social Media in general, are becoming so overwhelming important in our lives that everything that happens there has to be dealt with publicly? What  is your oppinion?

Sources and further information in Dutch:

https://www.google.com/search?q=winsie+hau&hl=da&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=_X0yUPrBB87B0gX4uoCYDg&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1339&bih=596

http://radio.omroep.nl/i/49979/ http://nos.nl/video/408782-theo-verbruggen-alleen-maar-verliezers-in-de-zaal.html http://nos.nl/video/408815-theo-verbruggen-om-eist-maximale-straf-voor-facebookmoord.html http://nos.nl/video/408645-facebookmoord-drie-jongeren-voor-rechter.html http://www.misdaadjournalist.nl/2012/04/moord-op-winsie-hau-achter-gesloten-deuren-tegels-voor-geertjan-lassche-roze-moorden-uit-de-handel/ http://www.gezond24.nl/video/bekijk/tiener-doodgestoken-na-ruzie-op-facebook.htm

News from Arnhem in The Netherlands by E. van de Craats on 20/08/2012