OSLO - TUESDAY'S shootings at a Finnish school have led to calls for tougher policing of video websites - the gunman had posted menacing videos online before killing 10 people.
Student Matti Juhani Saari, 22, then shot himself in a tragedy that closely resembled last year's massacre at another Finnish school. That gunman, too, had posted messages on video-sharing website YouTube.
It is now alleged that such sites allow sick fantasies to be indulged in and encourage copycat tragedies. Criminologists agree that video-sharing websites offer killers unprecedented scope to get their messages across.
Said criminologist Aarne Kinnunen, adviser to Finland's justice minister: 'The Internet creates the image
that there is a crowd of people that respects this type of behaviour.'
Finnish President Tarja Halonen had a point in telling broadcaster YLE: 'The Internet and YouTube forums...are not another planet...adults have the responsibility to...create borders and safety there.'
But the problem transcends YouTube-like sites. Old-fashioned videos were linked to killing sprees last year after Cho Seung Hui killed 33 people, including himself, at Virginia Tech in the United States and mailed a film explaining
his actions to broadcaster NBC.
Also, analysts say web-monitoring for malicious intent is tricky, given vague threats, hoaxes and limited police resources.
Ultimately, the Internet and YouTube are tools that can be utilised as well as abused. Mr Kinnunen suggests linking Internet background checks to new gun permits.
