Terry Fawles defense post
As a heartfelt Terry Fawles defender, I feel the need to make a defense post for the poor guy since I see a crazy lor of hate for him, some justified but some that I feel are a tad unfair.
I will first begin with points that I agree are bad things Terry did.
Yes, he ultimately went along with both the kidnapping and the so-called relationship and he is equally responsible for that.
Even if he did not kill Valerie he was still by no means innocent, he still broke out of jail, stole a car and knowingly lied under oath.
But, here comes the but;
Dahlia is just as much as to blame as Terry. Her age is not an excuse, she knew exactly what she was doing.
Terry was a mentally challenged man who was easy to exploit and manipulate for someone like Dahlia to twist around her finger and push him to do whatever she wants. Yes, she had a very poor homelife, but that's no excuse.
Gotta mention Valerie also wasn't blameless since she never tried to stop the relationship and was also in on the kidnapping.
Yes, Terry lied under oath but that was all because Dahlia already had him in the palm of her hand. She used his love for her against him to shield herself and push him into killing himself.
Ultimately I understand why some would hate Terry for what he did. I concede that his relationship with Dahlia was messed up.
BUT!
I CANNOT agree with people who compare Terry to Max or Ben. Terry was mentally ill and exploited for that. He may not have even been fully aware of the wrongs in the relationship and thought his love for Dahlia was a natural and normal thing.
Max and Ben knowingly hit on a minor, aware fully of the implications that hitting on a minor is gross.
I also cannot agree with people who say Terry deserved to die by suicide. He was, again ill. He needed help. Help from someone who was not Dahlia who only pushed him to do things for her own benefit. He trusted in Dahlia and it brought him only his demise.
Dahlia may have been a child, but regardless she knew exactly what she was doing. She may have also needed help, but she could have tried to confide in Valerie, since she seemed to at least care about her more than her father. She certainly trusted Valerie enough to ask her to take part in a kidnapping and ask for her help in changing her identity.
Terry may not have been fully aware of what he was doing due to being mentally ill. A child can be a criminal just as much as an adult.
Dahlia pushed Terry, he went along with it, both are at fault, yes. But to say Terry deserved suicide or is just like Ben or Max is very unfair.
Rant over.