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Originally Posted by SlackDad
And who is judging the maturity level?
They may well for all I know. My objection was with the death penalty for children not punishment per se.
Again you make no mention of how this 'actual level of maturity' is measured, which could possibly be even more arbitrary than a standard age. The standard age as we have in this country is, I would have thought, guided by cultural norms and standards. This does not mean to say it is an infallible system however.
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It's very interesting on this forum how a few seem to think people under the age of xyz should be treated with kid gloves when they commit a serious crime.
It makes me think back to a local case, where a 15yr old (I think) girl went out one night to a funfair with the intention of killing someone. The girl picked an innocent victim, another teenage girl. (one I seem to recall she didn't know) She then repeatedly stabbed the girl with a knife until a guy stepped in and physically immobilised her.
The court case made it clear, that there were many onloookers who did nothing. The one guy who stepped in and saved the victims life and danger to his own was himself threatened because he stepped in and assaulted a teenager who was in the act of commiting a multiple stabbing. the onlookers set about the good samaritan because he dared to harm a girl who was in the process of committing cold blooded murder.
I remember one memeber of this site saying words to the effect of "I would of dealt with him if that was my daughter he touched"
People need to get real, teenagers who commit violent acts should not be deal with any differently. A person stopping a child commotting a violent act should not be in danger of prosecution or physical abuse. The guy in question had a good pat on the back in court for his swift actions that saved a childs life, but I wonder if because of his experience, he would just stand back like the rest of the onlookers and watch a murder take place in future.
I know I couldn't stand back and watch, I know I would risk my own life in that situation. I have stepped in to a situation where two large guys were kicking a weedy kid in the head whilst on the floor, I am that sort of person.
Although deep down I know that if I was on the floor in that situation being kicked, I would most likely die if I had to rely on the majority of society who look the other way.
Edit: Put right some of the spelling mistakes and typos.