Did you watch that drama on Channel 4 a while ago, 'Boy A'?
It was loosely based on the Bulger case about a guy in his early twenties attempting to rebuild his life after being released for a horrific child murder some years earlier.
It was one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.
But it suffered from the same thing as Criminal Justice - the writer covered himself by showing the kid was little more than an accomplice to the other kid's crime. It's just a really easy way of making the audience universally sympathetic when a case of absolute guilt in childhood would have been much more interesting and challenging. And I think he would have been going through the same things, largely.
and then tried accordingly.
Though I don't always agree, for example the Jamie Bulger case - they were tried as youth offenders and so there prison terms were until they turned 18. Which to be fair the severity of the crime they should have been tried as adults. Another example is Ed Kemper, he killed both his grandparents at 16 and was tried as a minor, once released he went on to murder 10 young women.
I think any crime committed under 14 shouldn't result in a sentence going beyond 18. Beyond that, I think it's possible to be tried as an adult, but every case needs to be assessed by psychologists to decide properly. I wouldn't want to be the person making the decision, really.
it totally depends on someone's upbringing, their experiences in life, the people they've come into contact with or been influenced by. Some people grow up very quickly because they've had to, whereas others still behave like children far into their 'adult' life.
have you done something?
no
but I was having a row about those kids that killed jamie bulger and who's fault it would be if an 8 year old killed someone (i know they were ten)
fart gag
40
41
you can go to jail when you're ten.
the police told me when i was eleven.
going by some of the dodgy, scratty little kids wandering the streets with fags and bottle of wkd wh
11 or 12.
if you're old enough to drink, smoke and knowingly threaten people, then you're old enough to know what you're doing when you kill someone.
10
Between the ages of 10-14 the prosecution must prove that you knew what you were doing was wrong (Bulger case, defendants were both 10)
From the age of 14 and up you're tried as an adult.
how long did they get?
i think they got out when they were 18/20
i think.
A minimum of 8 years.
This was later increased to 10, then increased yet again to 15 before being overturned at the appeal court.
A further two years was taken off the minimum tariff bringing the sentence full circle back to a minimum of 8 years once again.
They were released in 2001.
It would be interesting to know what they would be like now
and what they would say about what they did
It certainly would.
Did you watch that drama on Channel 4 a while ago, 'Boy A'?
It was loosely based on the Bulger case about a guy in his early twenties attempting to rebuild his life after being released for a horrific child murder some years earlier.
It was one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.
^ BAFTA award winning apparently.
If you haven't seen it, it's available for free on Channel 4's On Demand (or '4OD') service.
It's in the Free Archive section.
Thanks
I will watch it
It was good
But it suffered from the same thing as Criminal Justice - the writer covered himself by showing the kid was little more than an accomplice to the other kid's crime. It's just a really easy way of making the audience universally sympathetic when a case of absolute guilt in childhood would have been much more interesting and challenging. And I think he would have been going through the same things, largely.
Well in a court of law you are judge on your perception of what you've done
and then tried accordingly.
Though I don't always agree, for example the Jamie Bulger case - they were tried as youth offenders and so there prison terms were until they turned 18. Which to be fair the severity of the crime they should have been tried as adults. Another example is Ed Kemper, he killed both his grandparents at 16 and was tried as a minor, once released he went on to murder 10 young women.
An adult should not continue being punished
for a crime they did when they were a child, imo.
I agree
i understand your point
but define the point where that change occurs.
That's the hard bit
I think any crime committed under 14 shouldn't result in a sentence going beyond 18. Beyond that, I think it's possible to be tried as an adult, but every case needs to be assessed by psychologists to decide properly. I wouldn't want to be the person making the decision, really.
I don't think that's something anyone can really pinpoint
it totally depends on someone's upbringing, their experiences in life, the people they've come into contact with or been influenced by. Some people grow up very quickly because they've had to, whereas others still behave like children far into their 'adult' life.
it is 10.
I don't know.
Luxembourg has it as 18 which is far too high in my opinion.