To think that children know the difference between way before the age of 14?

[Ionlylikeitwhenitrains]

senior magistrates are discussing raising the age the age of criminal responsibilty 14.
A IBU in thinking children know right from wrong before the age of 14?
AIBU in thinking it's f'ing crazy that an 11, 12, 13 year old could get away with murder?

It's a long time since i was 10 but I definately could be held responsible for my actions.
Not as much as an older child, but I could differentiate right from wrong.
That's because I had parents that taught me this.

I think it would be suitable to base any convictions punishments and rehabilitation on a child personal/family circumstances.
I also think it would be disastrous to excuse any wrong doing because in many cases children like that go on to commit atrocities and I can seee so many potential offenders slipping through the net

< trying my best not to sound hysterical >

However I do think 10 is too young to perhaps know the difference between mischievousness and serious wrong in some cases

I don't think a 10 yr old can comprehend that the consequences of his actions will be forever.

Most children do know the difference between right and wrong at 10 but I agree with others that they don't fully appreciate consequences. Scotland used to have an age of criminal responsibility of 8 which was raised to 12 recently. I tend to think 12 is probably a better age than 14 but am open to persuasion on that. 12 would at least mean no primary age children in the criminal justice system.

There are pros and cons of a higher age of criminal resposibility. Maybe the biggest con is that the child does not to put their case in a court so they may be de facto punished (as the actions can't be ignored) without getting to put their case. Tricky I think. But at least they don't have a criminal record at such a young age with the risks that early criminalisation causes.

I don't think it's that they don't know the difference it's more that they are unlikely to fully understand the consequences at a very young age.