Comments on: Old wounds opened by Venables re-arrest

By: Indigo Jo

Indigo Jo — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:24:37 +0000

Africana: that is an instruction to parents, not the state. They are not held personally accountable until they are both 11 lunar years old and have reached puberty, and so they were both most likely unaccountable. This doesn’t mean their action should be overlooked as it certainly demonstrates that they are capable of harming someone severely, but any mob justice demands should certainly be resisted.

By: africana

africana — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:50:46 +0000

“even 16 year olds think differently from 18 years olds.”

so you wake up at the age of 18 and all of a sudden you are a mature adult? Childhood ending at age 18 is such a false construct.

In the past, children were married by their mid-teens.

By: africana

africana — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:47:41 +0000

“he was just ten years old”

10 years old is old enough to know right from wrong.

In Islam, children who are not praying by age 10 are to be reprimanded because they know right from wrong at that age.

By: Safiya Outlines

Safiya Outlines — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:12:10 +0000

Salaam Alaikum,

Tricky. Their crime was utterly horrific and I have to admit that I would be very happy for them for them to be in some secure unit, basket weaving until the end of their days.

The problem with the secret identities is that surely those around them have the right to know what they’ve done?

By: kingstonpeople

kingstonpeople — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:21:11 +0000

Good post. People forget that children don’t think as adults, even 16 year olds think differently from 18 years olds.

I remember at the time when they were released it was reported that they tried to send the now adults to Canada and Australia with their new identities but they refused to have them.