Jail time (child assault)

[SimplySteveRedux]

*An 18-year-old squeezed the child's chest, brought its legs together and threw a PlayStation controller at its foot in anger as the tot was crying.

But his actions left the child with four broken ribs, two broken legs and a broken foot.

He was 16 when he did it, has been sentenced to 10 months in a young offenders' institution, suspended for 18 months.*

Surely, surely, this mandates jail time. What would he have had to do to get an immediate custodial. Joke.

I am not excusing violence but I think we have to see what good would come of someone who is barely an adult - and who has goodness knows what going on in his life to make him do that (he may be a victim of abuse himself, the cycle of abuse is a thing) - being placed in a prison with men

That’s apparently. What a travesty! How anyone can call that justice is beyond me. Sheer wickedness.

who has goodness knows what going on in his life to make him do that

No one made him! The blame lies solely with him. Stop making excuses for nasty pieces of work.

I wish, really wish, people would stop using the "but they were/could have been abused" line. I was abused, I've never felt the need to bash someone skull in, or attack a crying baby.

He would have been sent to a YOI instead of a men's prison due to being 16 when he assaulted this poor baby.

Absolutely disgusting. He should have been put in prison for a long time. Where is the justice and the deterrent? Sounds like the start of psychopath and he’s not even seeing the inside of a cell? People (incl teenagers) get far longer than that for drug offences, it’s so messed up.

That is appalling. I don't care what else might, or might not, be going on in his life, he should have been thrown in jail for a good long time! Stop pandering to obnoxious little shits like this and patting their heads. He did this, and should have paid for it! If you can't do the time, you don't do the crime!

Those injuries are horrific. How could an attack like that not warrant a more severe sentence?

I don't necessarily think a custodial sentence is the best way to go sometimes but there needs to punishment and rehabilitation.
Was there any mandatory anger programmes or curfews imposed?

No, just the suspended sentence. The judge remarked the defendant "looked anxious and depressed" in court. No fucking shit! The judge also said his age was a mitigating factor...

The sentence is pathetic for such awful injuries. Especially given that they were inflicted on a defenceless baby!

I'm sick of all this 'oh but they weren't much more than a child', 'oh they had a bad time of it' etc. Everyone goes through tough times but that doesn't mean a can go around attacking others.

Link to the full story?

I'd like to see the judge's reasoning, and look at the sentencing guidelines for the offence.

I bet it isn't unduly light when compared to the guidelines.

Link as requested: www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/angry-stoke-trent-teenager-leaves-2999011

Absolutely agree that this individual should serve jail time. The actions the individual took where deprived and resulted in serious injury to a child. The perpetrator should be punished. And for longer than a measly 10 months.

I would be in favour of long prison sentences for serious criminal offences, with no early release for good behaviour (extend sentence for bad behaviour). But I've been slated on MN for this opinion previously!

i'd want someone to get:

• whatever will prevent them doing something like that again.

whether that's a community centre, or whatever, i don't give a shit - i dont care about them being 'punished' just put into a position where there is no repeat as that's the most important thing. so i'd have to look at what has the evidence base behind it for reducing recidivism.

i have a feeling that prison can set someone down a certain route in life which ultimately leads the way to more victims. avoiding that is #1 priority not my need to feel someone is being punished.

Who cares what was going on in his life, why attempt to make excuses for this evil cruel person

Is "brought his legs together" an expression I don't know? I'm assuming this action broke the child's legs so pretty violent, not just holding his legs together or what I am imagining. Could someone explain what it means?

Community programs etc can’t even stop common shoplifters, wtf chance is there that whatever he’s been told to attended will actually work?
We all know this man will go on to inflict injuries to other people, people who do such terrible things don’t stop because of some shitty course.

Banged them together with force is how I'm reading it. It's an odd expression.

The article says he has showed obvious remorse, he suffers from anxiety and depression, needs to do 30 days 'rehabilitation activity' and 200 hours unpaid work to avoid jail. So he wasn't just given a suspended sentence. He will have to do quite a bit to avoid jail.

I am guessing it is a younger sibling?I wonder if he was forced into babysitting He probably had no clue how strong he was and how fragile the baby was

And people question why others take the law into their own hands, lets hope this child abuser doesn't go on to kill, fingers crossed ay!

The article says he has showed obvious remorse, he suffers from anxiety and depression

They all claim that, all are good at putting on the remorseful face. It’s all lies, they only feel sorry for themselves.

200hours unpaid work? So a months work at most? Yeah, sounds like he has to do a lot to avoid prison.

I suffer from anxiety and depression.
I don't go around beating babies up