To Think This is Too Low a Sentance - 12 year olds knife killing

[LuckysDadsHat]

https://news.sky.com/story/two-boys-believed-to-be-uks-youngest-knife-murderers-detained-for-minimum-of-eight-years-and-six-months-13221221

8.5 years minimum is nothing when these children are still only 13. They could be out at the same age of the man they killed. Why are sentences getting so lenient? I know some will say they are just children, but they are not so naive to not know what they were doing, and after the murder one of them was on social media saying "I don't really care" about the murder. It's just horrific and we need to have higher mandatory sentencing for all knife crimes including just carrying a knife.

What's the actual charges?

Murder

It's in the link! Murder and possession of a knife.

Should be life for murder, and actual life not 35 years or whatever piss take sentence.

No wonder kids don't think twice about going around stabbing.

I agree OP.

I can't see it standing. There will undoubtedly be an appeal as its unduly lenient.

It was premeditated in that they had the knives for several hours and obviously meant to attack someone. The attack was vicious, he was stamped on, punched at chopped at as well as stabbed. So they were very committed to the crime.

You have to wonder at their backgrounds.

'Possession of a knife' is not an actual charge!

What's the breakdown? I expected more from the link

This is horrendous. And am I right they would get out in less normally under supervision?

I'll look for a better report

Yes it is.

Ffs, 2 12 years olds (at the time) murdered a 19 year old and all you can see is you need another report before you can pass judgement?!?!?! They were found guilty of murder and sentencing was today and they have to serve 8.5 years minimum. That is a pitiful sentence by any stretch of the mumsnet imagination. They were not known to each other this was a random attack with premeditation as they were carrying a machete.

Is it?

I usually read 'possession of a bladed article in a public place'

@LuckysDadsHat not my place to pass judgement. Was wondering the breakdown of charges. Who got what and for what

There’s very stringent guidelines on youth sentencing - the overarching aim is rehabilitation

🙄

Anyway, yes OP, ridiculously lenient sentence and they both should be named IMO.

Your responses are bizarre.

Read the room.

@Yumyi No, not for murder - it’s a minimum term, so there’s no early release. I’d imagine given it’s a minimum, they’ll also need to be approved for release by the parole board. If they’re still deemed a risk they won’t then be released.

@Willyoujustbequiet

Er no! I won't...

That'll be why the murder rate in the USA, where they have full life terms and the death penalty is so low. Except it's not, it's about 4 times that of the UK.

Kids can't think the same as adults, which is why we don't let them vote, drive, marry or drink etc

Ah deliberately trying to be inflammatory on a thread about the brutal murder of a teenager.

We see you.

I just saw this on Sky News and thought the same OP - it must be such a blow to the victim's family. They seemingly attacked him for no reason, what the hell are two 12 year old's doing with a machete anyway?

IMO the laws around 'life sentences' should be adjusted anyway - as we are all living longer. This is often the excuse given for why we can't access our state pension until later etc. So why aren't longer life sentences given, more reflective of the many years of potential life that was taken away from someone? Oh wait, it'll be that there is no space in prison, given that loads of prisoners were just released early.

Those boys will be out by the time they are 20 and back committing crimes. They have another 60/70 years of life ahead of them.

Murder attracts a mandatory life sentence - the variable is the “minimum term” after this, the parole board have to assess whether you’re safe to be released. If you are, you’re then on parole for the rest of your life and can be recalled to prison (effectively it’s then a suspended sentence). If you’re not, you stay in prison. Whole life orders with no minimum tariff are given in very limited scenarios, in reality because we don’t have the resources to lock every murderer up for their entire life. Also, I was once told by a parole officer that our prisons are fundamentally overcrowded and understaffed - minimum tariffs and the idea that the parole board will allow them out at the end if they behave and aren’t a risk works as a way of controlling behaviour in prisons rather than a prison full of people with no hope!

It’s almost as long as their lives up until the point of the killing.

A thirty year old who killed some one would be unlikely to serve anything like thirty years, even if the sentence was expressed as life.

A life sentence that they don't actually serve in prison is an insult. Whatever the rules surrounding minimum terms - those boys will be out, walking around, having fun with their friends, doing all the things that the victim will never get a chance to do again.
How many times has someone been deemed 'safe to be released' only to commit more crimes, and have to be recalled to prison?
Jon Venebles anyone?