The case made me think of my first year of LLB, when I studied a little bit of criminology and had to write a short essay on the theories relating to why children become criminals - nature, nurture or environment. Each theorist put across compelling views as to why some children are criminals and at the end of the module I was undecided as to which theory was the most persuasive. These latest two defendants come from a dysfunctional family and a rough area of Yorkshire, so it's take your pick really as to why they became criminals.
Comparisons of this latest case are being made to Robert Thompson and John Venebles, who killed 2 year old James Bulger after abducting him in a shopping centre. No-one really knows what has become of those child murderers, who successfully obtained an injunction protecting their identities for life and were released several years ago. There were rumours that they had been sent to Australia to start new lives and further rumours that one is set to marry shortly, whilst the other lives with his partner who is unaware of his past.
It's a complex problem that has no solution, on the one hand to reveal the new identities of Venebles and Thompson would no doubt lead to seriously endangering their lives, but on the other hand how would you feel if it transpired that one of them lived next door to you and your young children, but the authorities failed to inform you of your neighbour's past because their right to safety was paramount to that of your children? Is it possible that someone who is capable of committing a truly horrific crime is capable of being rehabilitated and is therefore no longer a threat to society?
3 comments:
Blimey BM, why do you always pick such complicated subjects.
I think when smacking children became taboo, letting them stay up past 7pm, reducing the size of wagon wheels, and letting them have televisions in the bedrooms it became the root cause of youth offending.
I bet you didn't use any of my research or theories in your essay did you.
As my dear old dad would say, 'Here is a smack Swiss my son. You may not have done anything wrong, but you will, so if I am work when you do it, have the smack now'
Mum was harsher.
Get rid of the do gooders, thrash children within an inch of their lives with leather belts on a daily basis, and bring back National Service, and things will be better. Trust me.
Swiss
I felt physically sick when I heard the news. It's messed up. Where do these children get their ideas from?! Why do we live in such a cruel world?
Hi Andro - yes it's a very sickening thing, God knows what happens in the minds of these kids. The news said that the boys had watched hard core horror movies from a young age, and this does make me wonder if these films have the capability of unbalancing fragile young minds?
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