Children being tried as adults
By jasmine0728
@jasmine0728 (677)
United States
June 5, 2008 10:26am CST
Has anyone heard about the case in England that happened around 1991 where two 10 year old boys kidnapped a two year old and killed him? There is no doubt these two boys committed the crime they were tried as adults and sentenced to her majesty's pleasure in England I believe that means you stay in prison until the court wants to let you out but you have to serve at least 15 years.What makes this case more sad then the average is that along the 2 mile route these 10 year olds took with this little boy many adults could have stepped in and saved him.One woman even suggested walking with him and the two other boys to the police station.She asked someone to hold her dog for her while she went,when the woman said no she just let the three keep trucking.The little boy had a cut on his head and was crying for his mum it was so obvious that he was in distress why on earth did these grown adults not do something to help him?
The two ten year old served eight years and some kind of human rights agency not only got them released early but with new names,and the media told they can't divulge any information about their new names or where abouts.They also won a law suit which is what got them out early plus a large sum of money to start their new lives.The law suit involved mainly their rights being violated in the court room because they were so little there was a staging of some sort built to lift them higher so they could see what was going on around them.The law suit said that this was not fair to them because it put them on display in the court room,go figure.Does anyone have any thoughts or more information on this case.The little boys name was James Bulger.
Jas
1 response
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
5 Jun 08
I remember the hysteria surrounding this case very well. My own daughter was 3 when this awful crime happened. All that you might want to know about the case is on Wikipedia at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:SP-KP/James_Bulger_Redraft This is such a difficult case. They did it, they should have been punished. Their release was on a technicality and I don't think that any sane person could have thought that it was right. The press will know exactly where they are, I have no doubt of that. However, should 10 year olds be incarcerated for life. You might argue that they were children themselves and that prison and rehabilitation is better for them than 70 or 80 years behind bars. Many people commit even more horrendous crimes on adults and don't go away for more than 10 - 20 years. I really don't know how this one should have been concluded. Personally I feel that they were let out too soon. But a part of me thinks that they should have been let out one day - a part not.
@jasmine0728 (677)
• United States
5 Jun 08
I do agree with you that they were let out too soon,and that they should have been let out one day.I don't agree that they were allowed any money that was like slapping little James e's mother in the face.I do understand the change of name though someone certainly would have killed them when they were set free.My hope is that they did get some rehabilitation and will live their lives without harming anyone else.I do think it is possible in their case that they won't re offend simply because I don't think they were the monsters they were made out to be.They were only 10 and one egged the other on, I don't think their initial intention was to kill him,they were just children themselves.
Just my thoughts.
Jas
