***trigger warning child abuse***To think it is disgusting and unacceptable that people seem to almost get away with killing children in this country!

[isitmean]

I absolutely do not think I am being unreasonable but the justice system seem to think so! And I guess the majority of people or wouldn't we be campaigning about it as we do with many little "woke" issues these days!

I have just read that both the killers of Alfie Lamb are now out of prison! Three years, which was how old he was.

I just can't understand it, is it like this in all countries or is the U.K. very lax?

@ComtesseDeSpair

Sentencing when it comes to crimes against women such as rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse are lenient, which reflects the low status of women in society.

Sentencing in many cases of child abuse equally reflects the status of children and their lack of importance in the eyes of some.

Don't disagree with this - the sentences attached to things like corporate fraud (especially in the US) can be decades long, whereas similar offences against individuals can be significantly less harsh.....

Hard to understand the reasoning, and I can't personally decide whether one is too long, or the other is too short, or, indeed, a bit of both...

What's wrong with retribution? Not trying to be goady. Just honestly people seem so against it and I don't know why?

Personally I'd have no issue with that callous monster being hung

I think the intention is to say that a lot of people don't give a shit about those children and what happens to them.

I don't understand how anyone could see another issue being more important than preventing and punishing people who abuse and murder children, the most vulnerable members of our society

Because outrage is draining and damaging to one's own mental health, it take a lot of long-term anger to sustain outrage and that isn't healthy for anyone. Prevention-wise? Write to your MP and ask that they support policies that protect vulnerable members of society, policies that properly fund/authorise intervention services, and (if you're that way inclined) policies that reflect the levels of punishment you'd like to see. Marching in the streets though? No thanks. I dislike pitchfork justice.

What's wrong with retribution? Not trying to be goady. Just honestly people seem so against it and I don't know why?

Because the law has to be impartial, it has to be free from emotion and knee jerk sentencing, it has to be balanced. As evidence by PartyGate "do as I say and not as I do" is no way to govern, you cannot uphold state sanctioned murder while also being anti-murder.

Personally I'd have no issue with that callous monster being hung

Missed a bit off the end there. It should say:

Personally I'd have no issue with that callous monster being hung

Good job you're not in charge of making the laws then.

[quote isitmean]@ComtesseDeSpair is it really that callous!? I mean maybe you're right, maybe it is and subconsciously that's how some people feel? But surely not a majority? [/quote]
I don’t think it’s uncommon, although obviously we can’t quantifiably provide any data. And I also think that many people do judge the value of a child’s life by its likely outcome. Children from Alfie’s background, overwhelmingly, are the ones who in 20 years time will be over represented in the prison population, the queue at the Job Centre, in the methadone recipient programme, as the parents of children on social service’s protection caseload. He doesn’t garner the same level of sympathy as the loss of a child with a bright future.

He’s on license until 2025 and considering his track record it will only be a matter of time before he’s back behind bars. I think in this instance the judge has placed value judgements on the lives of a middle class boy done wrong vs the son of a poor single mum - and not taken into account the murderer’s past history of violence at all. Hopefully it doesn’t result in another death.