Sandy
Love it here
Posts: 371
|
Post by Sandy on Mar 13, 2010 10:13:01 GMT 1
uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100313/tuk-children-under-12-should-not-be-pros-dba1618.html"The Children's Commissioner says the killers of James Bulger should not have been prosecuted for his murder because children under the age of 12 who commit crimes are too young to understand the full consequences of their actions.
Maggie Atkinson believes under 12s should not be prosecuted for any crime and called for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised from 10 to 12 years old.
Dr Atkinson told The Times that a civilised society should recognise that children who commit offences should be treated differently from adult criminals." Do you agree with her that the two boys who killed James Bulger should never have been charged in a normal court as they were only 'children' and therefore unaware of what they were doing?
|
|
|
Post by tobyjug on Mar 13, 2010 13:40:25 GMT 1
If they didn't know by reaching the age of ten that murder was wrong then there was something seriously wrong with their parental guidance and education, DO NOT agree
|
|
|
Post by BartyB on Mar 13, 2010 14:16:44 GMT 1
uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100313/tuk-children-under-12-should-not-be-pros-dba1618.html"The Children's Commissioner says the killers of James Bulger should not have been prosecuted for his murder because children under the age of 12 who commit crimes are too young to understand the full consequences of their actions.
Maggie Atkinson believes under 12s should not be prosecuted for any crime and called for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised from 10 to 12 years old.
Dr Atkinson told The Times that a civilised society should recognise that children who commit offences should be treated differently from adult criminals." Do you agree with her that the two boys who killed James Bulger should never have been charged in a normal court as they were only 'children' and therefore unaware of what they were doing? What I'm absolutley sure about is that if yo lock up a teenager for 6 years you shouldn't be suprised that he re-offends when you let him out!! "If they didn't know by reaching the age of ten that murder was wrong then there was something seriously wrong with their parental guidance and education", which is exactly the argument that can be used to show that they shouldn't have been prosecuted
|
|
|
Post by judith on Mar 13, 2010 15:40:12 GMT 1
Do not agree, as those two were evil.
Having said that, there are far too many children locked up in British prisons for sometimes quite small offences. In that way, we are tarring them all with the same brush. Almost like, if you give a dog a bad name it will live up to it thereafter.
|
|
Sandy
Love it here
Posts: 371
|
Post by Sandy on Mar 13, 2010 15:48:34 GMT 1
"If they didn't know by reaching the age of ten that murder was wrong then there was something seriously wrong with their parental guidance and education", which is exactly the argument that can be used to show that they shouldn't have been prosecuted"
So rather than prosecute them (and by this action demonstrating to other 'children' that these sort of pastimes are not desirable) what is the answer? (I am sure that they did not actually go to a normal prison but to a special childrens centre with 1 to 1 counselling according to one article which I read.)
If a legal prosecution did not take place would this not suggest to other like-minded juveniles that the penalty was mild, and therefore no real deterrent to prevent similar occurrances?
|
|
|
Post by Ali on Mar 13, 2010 16:22:47 GMT 1
I think that by the age of 8 most kids know exactly what they are doing.
All the gaming that kids do these days can't be good unless they've got a good set of parents with values.
My belief is absolutely YES they should be prosecuted, I do not agree with the commissioner. Perhaps they should be directed straight to the army when they come of age - that'd probably sort them out.
|
|
|
Post by BartyB on Mar 13, 2010 16:34:54 GMT 1
by this action demonstrating to other 'children' that these sort of pastimes are not desirable) what is the answer? ********************************************* If a legal prosecution did not take place would this not suggest to other like-minded juveniles that the penalty was mild I think you're making some wild assumptions about kids (thankfully I don't have any). Do kids read the newspapers and even more importantly would a 11yearold really make the connection at any meaningfull level between the "punishment" and the crime? Even in the adult world my guess would be that a good proprtion of those beind bars cannot treuly make the connection bewteen crime and punnishment. Strying off track slightly one thing of which I am entirely convinced is that prison can either punish or rehabilitate..... it can't do both. The governments of the world don't have the guts to make a go of the rehab option becaus eit would cost and be seen as giving offenders an easy ride and they can't be seen to go down the punishment route because it'd offend the human rights brigade.
|
|
|
Post by jackie on Mar 13, 2010 17:15:58 GMT 1
A very divisive topic. I agree with the commissioner. I don't think they were 'evil' (an emotive word loved by the gutter press but what does it really mean???), but somehow shockingly messed up & shouldn't have been tried in an adult court at 10 years old.
While I was in the UK the press had dredged the whole thing up again, it was sickening. The mob, riled up by the press, is still baying for blood but I guess it's easier to do that then to try to understand why these sort of crimes happen.
|
|
|
Post by judith on Mar 13, 2010 18:15:36 GMT 1
You're right Spanielle, they were sent to a specialist children's centre, in different parts of the country of course. One of my best, most experienced, most caring (male) teachers went to be a tutor to the one of them. This teacher was a superb role model and possessed fantastic skills with difficult children. Without going into the details I know he considered this child way beyond help in a very sinister way. Such traits, although rare, can be seen in children as young as four or five and, try as we might, on occasions it is not possible to correct this behaviour precisely because we cannot understand why it occurs.
|
|
|
Post by lif on Mar 13, 2010 18:24:16 GMT 1
Inter city depravation, the lads that did the killing lived in a world full of drugs drink and explicit videos. Is it any wonder that they acted out the lifestyle that was normal to them?
Remember the advertising world knows you will be affected by there advertisements, that’s why it’s a billion + pound a year industry, and yet it’s in denial that the likes of Friday the 13th can influence your thinking.
Blame the politicians for allowing this to happen.
|
|