Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

Here is one of the many links to the story

Here is another view

Now is it just me, or should this never have gone to court?

Has the world gone completely bonkers?

They were 10 years old!!!

GC8

It shouldnt have gone to court, because terrible as it may have been, ten year olds cant understand the ramification, the language, counsel or instruct their solicitor properly. That undermines any outcome which makes it unjust.

God alone knows what the solution is, though. Beating their parents with birch sticks perhaps?

GC8

I realise that SN is no place for thinking though: and I will endeavour to post some ill-thought out half witted right wing remarks.....

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

Strange one this as the girls testimony suggested rape yet it came out that she made it up for some reason I'd question how / why an 11yr old girl can make up such a thing

TX.

PS

I'm all for trying kids in an adult court if they've commited an adult offence.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

TX, she was only 8.

It's a tricky one and I don't really know what I think.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

^^ Holy cow, even worse then

TX.

Lee247

It's an odd one, for sure.

I remember a lad telling me to look under the desk, when I was at school. The little bugger had his todger out
(Christ, the things one remembers)
It never entered my head to say anything to anyone. I just thought it was funny.
Kids will be kids and all that guff

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

The innocence of years gone by though.

Kids will always be curious, and don't really understand.

What is concerning is that either an 8 year old could cry rape so to speak, or that two 10 year olds could do what is being claimed (I mean this is not just supposedly showing thier todger alone, they are supposed to have blocked her from leaving, and raped her).

Who knows, but either way it is a sign of the unfortunate times we live in.

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

According the news earlier, she made it up cos she was afraid her Mum would be angry with her!!!! How the hell does she know what rape is at that age?????????

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

TBH, I seriously doubt she went home and told her mum the boys tried to rape her.
She most likely said they had their things out, wouldn't let her go and wanted her to undress too...........and further questioning would elicit what happened.

Disturbing though

dpb

or the boys had their todgers out girl was 'upset' told mum and mum then insisted it was rape

The Zohan

+1 their behaviour needs looking at by professionals as does that of their parents but not something for the courts surely

baser999

iTrader: (2)

I believe this is what happened at some point but her story conflicted quite significantly to the one she gave immediately after the incident. It was on that original statement they felt the case should be taken forward.
Regardless of all this, what the hell are these kids watching at home that leads to this?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Or hearing from older kids?

Leslie

As ever I think Lisa has hit the nail as they say.

These days children are exposed to so much of adult type goings on via the media etc that if their parents dont work at bringing them up in a sensible direction in the first place, they will very easily branch off in the wrong direction.

I think it is a pity that children grow through their natural sense of innocence so rapidly these days, and many parents will deliberately speed that up in an effort to demonstrate how intelligent they appear to be to others.

Another example of the more unfortunate effects of "modern" living!

I don't think this case should have gone to court.

Les

EddScott

I think you'll find that if it had just been a case of I'll show you mine etc then it wouldn't have got that far. From what I've heard the two boys cornered her in a lift then took her to a field.

IMO if children are going to be doing these things in these "modern times" then they need to be tried for their crimes. Courts might not be the best place but these lads have done something wrong and need punishing.

Being a father of an 8 year old girl it is actually making me angry that people think these boys shouldn't have been tried. If it was mine I'd want the f*ckers hanged.

Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

I can't comprehend how prepubescent kids can get judged by adult sexual standards.... and all the experts and people in the system took it seriously enough to make a big deal of it. Took it to court FFS!

These 3 kids are going to be seriously f*cked up by all this hoo haar. Imagine what an experience like going to court and all the news coverage would have done for you at that age?

That's the crazy bit for me.

What age does Doctors and Nurses become dodgy?

EddScott

You have no idea of the contents of the case. How can you judge that these children were just playing and its the adults that have blown it out of proportion.

Would you be asking the same questions if the two boys had killed her?

Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

I appreciate you have kids.... and I don't. I also don't want to make you angry or wind you up.

But... I'd like to gently point out that this wasn't a murder case.... Totally different kettle of fish.

EddScott

True its different but what I mean is that children today will do things that would have been completely unheard off 20 years ago. Or maybe they did and its just modern times that highlights these crimes more than 20 years ago.

I'm not convinced trying these children in a similar fashion it adults is the best but I don't believe that the trial would have got this far if there wasn't something more underhand going on then mere "play"

Didn't mean to sound irate, just over protection kicking in

Leslie

If you were the father of a lad of that age who had done such a thing, how would you feel then?

Les

Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

Carrying the theme on assuming that they did do something wrong that needed 'correction' (to use an American term)...

Our head master 'lost it' one time while he was caning one of the boys at my old school. He was subsequently banned from caning shortly before he retired. It is interesting in hind sight to look back at how we became more cheeky and pushing the boundaries knowing full well we could no longer be hauled up onto the assembly stage and given 10 of the best by the head master.

As a generalisation I think kids these days are cheeky f*ckers who could do with 'some oldskool methods' of learning lessons.

I sound like my Dad... "I didn't get where I am today ... grumble, grumble (etc)"

Leslie

It means you are understanding his thinking with your developing maturity.

Les

Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

I must be on the slippery slope then. I get annoyed when people get there, their and they're mixed up. I listen to the Today program in the mornings and think that Andrew Marr is really quite interesting (although he let me down during the election coverage)...

GC8

If we step back a little, then surely we can see that trying ten year old children in crown court is f*king ridiculous - what is the country coming to?

We will be throwing donkeys off church steeples next.

Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

I actually Googled this. Crazy world we live in.

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Can I see if I understand the ScoobyNet lynch mob correctly: if a couple of ten year old boys kill someone, they should be locked up for life. If they assault someone they should be birched at the very least. But if they force a girl into sex it's just play? Is that a fair synopsis? Why is it that people have no trouble believing ten-year olds can commit any crime except rape, which apparently would just be larking around?


M

GC8

The SN mob-mentality paradox.

Westwood2006

iTrader: (1)

So if your 10 year old boy is naughty and gets into some trouble do you:

a. Talk to him and tell he shouldn't do that again and admit that your parenting skills probably aren't up to much. Pull your parenting socks up.
b. Give him a good old-skool thrashing to teach him a lesson.
c. New-School media frenzy. Prosecute him in the adult courts. Have your affairs in every news paper and current affairs program.
d. Lock him up and throw away the key.

I would say a combination of A & failing that, B. And while I'm at it I'd empower teachers to be able to do B as well.

Edit: anyone got any more suggestions?

The Zohan

The CPS must have had reson to pursue this case, it is not likely they did so thinking the case against the boys was weak or unlikely to get a procecution - what ever your feelings are towards them being on trial. I do not suppose we will ever know the full in's and out's of the case and what actually went on so speculation is the best we can do.

IMHO
Kids seem to be growing up/maturing quicker than in my day. I guess the media and access to the internet, youtube, online **** violence and pretty much anything is avaliable to view. Video games are now more graphic and realistic than packman and asteroids ever where - showing my age now!

The moral compass of some people seems also a little off and in some cases very off the mark.

What the boys did is wrong, their behaviour is not what you expect from 10 year olds at all - or at least what i would expect.

The boys did wrong - plain and simple - if you speak to the NSPCC and if you hypotheically had the same problem (god forbid) i think you will find that as far as they are concerned the boys sexually abused the girl even if they just got her to pull her pants down that is enough. This is not play or having a bit of fun at all and should not be confused or considered to be such.

What does need looking at is why the boys did what they did, what they have seen or done or had done to them. Often this is learned behavoiur, could be the media, could be closer to home.

I hope the boys get the counselling and support they need, i hope the parents and home lives of the boys are gone over with a fine tooth comb.

I hope the girls and her family are given the support and help they will need.

I am not sure that putting two young children through the adult courts is of benefit to anyone or will help in any way.