Firstly i will state that I only play Solo, primarily due to situations such as this.
The Elite franchise is a simulation set in space, not a pure FPS. I don't have any issue with the MMO part of the game and would happily play in open if there were logical and rational dangers and repercussions.
Concerning starting worlds, i cannot from any angle find a benefit to player murdering in any form. From the new player point of view, it simply reinforces their own difficulty in mastering the game, and potentially puts off new players from open mode temporarily if not permanently. How does this benefit the wider player base at all?
By the way, in case of anyone picking up on the term murdering, i would define it as attacking another player for the sole purpose of the player's ship being destroyed. No loot, no monetary reward, just the ship's destruction.
As far as i can see, the game designers wanted an MMO where players could "play as they wanted" within the confines of a space sim. I can understand roles such as Pirate (give me your cargo or face destruction) or Assassin (someone put a price on your head, and i am here to collect). both of those roles are very PVP centric and are logical in the game universe. A game universe in which having the increased risk of player interaction the majority of the player base (including myself) would enjoy.
Murdering players for kicks or boredom or whatever sad reason they use to justify their actions is not to the advantage of the player base as a whole, and it is simply the refuge of a number of players who gain pleasure in stacking the odds in their favour. I would have thought that the real PVP'ers out there would have quite frankly condemned such behaviour.
As for Hisec / Losec, my opinion is thus, in hisec space, crime should be difficult to pull off, and impossible to do for any length of time, again this is logical with a game universe, regardless of what way players "think" the game should be played. I have read sme people drawing analogies to the "wild west" of North America in the 1800's which is not representative of hisec/losec.
Hisec space should offer high levels of security with low levels of profit, losec should offer the reverse, this to me is logical, and gives traders a reason to venture into losec (and equip appropriately), and for pirates and privateers a place to hang out and stop them/steal their cargo.
I'd like to make one further point. Presumably people who are flagged wanted can still collect their insurance upon destruction? I have yet to meet an insurance company who would willingly pay out if they could not fine some get out clause. Sounds to me like any company would choose not to pay out to a criminal.