I dont get this thing about the mainstream @3... the murder has nothing to do with the BDSM scene. it just happened during one, but it could as well have happened at breakfast... he might have run, but still. I think people give too much importance to the fact that they were in a BDSM scene. anyway, nice article.

By European standards, eight and a half years in prison is not a "relatively brief sentence".

I'm fairly shocked by this article. You seem to want to attenuate the horror of such a crime by describing the victim as "an asshole" and talking about the strong feelings spawned by BDSM. I get the impression you are being as partial and prejudicial about this crime as most of the mainstream media, it is just that you are being partial towards the opposite side as the media.
First of all you are basing your judgement of the victim heavily on the statements about him made by the murderer in her defence. This is hardly a trustworthy source.
But above all, how much of a nice guy or how much of a asshole he might have been is absolutely irrelevant in this case. She murdered someone in cold blood while the person presented no physical threat to her whatsoever and that is all there is to it.