THE refusal of David Hodgson to reveal the whereabouts of 19- year-old Richmond girl Jenny Nicholl’s body (Echo, June 30) highlights something I’ve believed in for a long time: that in a decent, civilised society there are circumstances in which torture is justified.

In short, Hodgson’s failure to come clean about what he’s done with Jenny’s body should not be tolerated. I would extract the information from him by whatever means necessary, and I would do the same in all such cases where convicted killers have refused to say where they’ve put their victim’s body.

We owe it to the victim’s family, and their feelings are, or should be, paramount. In my book, they take absolute priority over every other consideration.

Tony Kelly, Crook, Co Durham.