Criminalising 12 and 13 year old.

[ItsAllAboutTheLighting]

A 12 abs 13 year old jumped my 10 year old son, beat him to the ground, punched him in the ribs, the head repeatedly, kicked him in the back.

He was hurt and traumatised.

I've called the police and they are investigating. Slowly.

When I spoke to police about it 3 weeks ago, he said there were a few options and whilst I could press charges and the kids end up with a criminal record, they discourage it due to not wanting to criminalise children.

There is another option where the kids join this kind of scheme which lasts a few weeks, not really sure what it entails but they also have to write and apology to my son.

Those children know I have reported it to the police.

I was in favour of the scheme, but now want to press charges.

The reasons are this

2 kids kicked the hell out of my 10 year old.

When they had finished a girl who was with them said to one of them "Chris, you need to stop beating people up"
So he does it a lot apparently

And lastly, this week when my son was out for the first time since, he bumped into one of them and he told my son "he wants to slap the bitch" the bitch being me.

To answer some questions which I know will be asked
We live next door to a green and park. This is where the incident happened.
My 10 year old went out again because I can't keep him hostage.
He's allowed in close proximity of our home and I know where he is all the time (find my iPhone).

WIBU to criminalise these children.

Right now I'm pissed off and possibly not thinking rationally so wanted some views that weren't emotionally charged.

You're not criminalising anyone, it's their own actions get will do it. At that age they know better, definitely have the little shits charged. As you said, it sounds like it's not the first time and probably won't be their last.

These feral children need to be controlled until they are no longer a danger to the rest of society

Do it. I was jumped at 14 by a 14 and a 12 year old. It’s been well over a decade and I still have scars. The police said there was nothing they could do and I still feel resentful

@Hemingwayscatz

You won’t be ‘criminalising’ anyone, they did that to themselves. Surprised the police explained it to you this way though, once you make a statement it’s out of your hands and you can’t choose to ‘press charges’.

You do get asked if you would "support a prosecution".

They'd likely be given a criminal record with ABH or something similar, which they deserve entirely, if they behave themselves and get into no further trouble with the law it'll be "spent" by the time they're adults and shouldn't effect their future too much.
Your poor son, I hope he recovers physically and mentally quickly.

So, there is a worldwide push for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 14. Even when it hasn't been legislated, police are under internal pressure not to 'criminalise kids'. The idea is that they will just grow out of it with a bit of guidance and time.

It's only when you see just how diabolical and violent some kids are at that age that you realise what a load of crap it is.

Is this kid going to suddenly grow up at the age of 15, 16 or 17 and start being nice to people, or is he going to get older and meaner until he either does something that can't be ignored (like kills someone) or rolls into the adult system?
I have no answers, other than your son probably won't get justice, and this kid will do more harm. Forcing your poor boy to go through the motions of pretending to accept a fake apology in the name of 'restorative justice' is an obscene parody of justice. Your child deserves better than that and YANBU to be fuming.

I personally would find them, talk to them and say don't ever touch my DS again and I won't press charges this time. I'd probably also
threaten them to prevent them touching my DS again. I'd pretend to be some kind of weird psycho Texas chainsaw massacre type of character to baffle and confuse them

I might also give them a tenner to leave DS alone

Do it, the police are just wanting to get it off their books. My late dp was assaulted by some feral neighbours when all he had done was pop to our corner shop one night, he needed stitches in his lip, had a fractured cheekbone & nose, I called the police as soon as he staggered in the house, when they came he told them who it was who repeatedly punched him.in the face & they got CCTV from the shop showing them following him out of the shop & going up the alley. The next day they rang while we were sat in A & E & basically said there would be repercussions if we went through with the complaint & they advised us to drop it.

It sounds like the sooner the two boys appear on the police computers with proper details, the better.

If no-one does anything, they won't stop until they kill someone. At 12 they need intervention now..

I'd keep pushing for prosecution.