To see this offender as a “criminal first” as opposed to a child?

[cofefefela]

I was robbed last week by some disgusting male who had been following me, he threatened to kill me, ignored me begging him not to etc. The absolute waste of oxygen’s movements could then be followed as some of my stolen electronics had tracking. This twat not only kept returning to the scene of the crime, he ended up robbing someone else there days later!

He has now been arrested. There’s CCTV footage of him committing the crime so he’s been charged and it’s gone to court. He’s had the audacity to plead not guilty and I found out he’s a youth defendant. There will be a trial next year, and my stolen property has not been recovered.

This has made me annoyed as he’ll likely end up with a slap on the wrist as he’s a “child”, although he had no problem committing such serious crimes repeatedly and showing zero remorse throughout. Aibu? I feel like he should be tried as an adult, he’s a danger to society.

I don’t see it as revenge. Maybe I was just brought up better than him, as I was taught to follow the law and that not doing so would have consequences. It’s how society regulates itself. It’s not revenge to expect the justice system to punish offenders of robbery to enforce the law. It’s just shit he will likely get a lesser punishment because he happens to be under 18 so won’t face the consequences of his actions.

Ultimately this experience will likely change me so that I’m not a victim of robbery again (can’t get robbed if you don’t leave the house, right) however it doesn’t mean he won’t strike again but just be careful not to leave witnesses the next time. So it’s not about a net benefit to me, more so a net benefit to society that he can’t strike again.

What it is you would like to see happen to him?

Well I’d expect a remorseless and persistent offender of violent crime like him to face prison time, and to be imprisoned for longer than a year.

I understand - I genuinely understand from first hand experience how painful it is to have been a victim to something that has potentially destroyed your life for ever and to watch that person walk off into the sunset without caring a jot about what they’ve done to you. I live with that and it is an injustice. I’m sorry you’ve gone through this.

Do you know his full back story, all of his life story?

I really understand that you are traumatised but I think your energy would be better spent on healing yourself than on raging about him. I know that is easier said than done, but your energy should be directed at yourself.

No. Why would I need to know “all of his life story”? There is nothing that could excuse his actions. There’s no need to extend such a courtesy towards him, he certainly did not towards me. Sure, his actions were traumatising but I’m not about to attack other people and use what he did to me as an excuse…

Why on earth would his life story be of any interest or relevance to op?!

Your post really does come across as victim-blaming. Your comment comes across like a pile-on in itself. You seem really determined to make me a villain in this. It’s bizarre.

Maybe one day you’ll experience similar, and it would be interesting to see your reaction not only to the crime, but also to someone like you piping up with your bizarre criticism.

It would help if you left the thread and didn’t return - thanks in advance.

I always have thought about what type of childhood have they had and what type of experiences have they had to deal with. Some children do turn their lives around with the right guidance. Whilst they’re a child they should be treated accordingly.

Exactly. The bizarre mental gymnastics to support a violent offender. Please stop commenting @bergamotorange, it’s ridiculous that you felt the need to leave “last words”.

I do not support any violent offender.

bergamotorange · Today 17:07

The OP is clearly thinking about the perpetrator a lot.

Do you think that there might be very good reasons why? You know, what with him just mugging her violently and all?

What crimes aren't adult crimes? Scrumping?

You are rightly angry and allowed to feel how you do considering what you went through. I am so sorry that happened to you.

However, crime is not about emotions. It's about understanding motivation, prevention, punishment, recidivism, ACE and so many other things. To take your points one by one.

Reading the youth sentencing guidelines online has infuriated me. Not only is the maximum punishment significantly different, but then they take into account whether the criminal came from a deprived background or has family issues etc!

ACE (adverse childhood events) shape children. You can pretend they don't but they are a very accurate way to predict the likelihood of a person offending (plus their sex, obviously). Children with multiple ACEs are much more likely to offend. And since children are children, they have had no chance to escape these ACEs in their home. Sentencing a child to prison is just giving them another ACE, probably several. Making it vastly more likely they will spend their life reoffending repeatedly. Yes, they are punished. No, it won't reduce reoffending or psychological damage.

FFS, a lot of people including their victims go through the exact same yet don’t turn to a life of crime.

There are lots of reasons for this. The age ACEs happen, the number of ACEs, protective factors like involved parents or other safe adults, brain plasticity, poverty, peers, sex, race, area, diversion things like youth programs, all things children have very little control over.

It’s just ironic that as a “youth” he was confident enough to decide to commit multiple robberies in a callous and cruel manner - but now gets his hand held throughout the process and a likely slap on the wrist to make sure he’s okay.

It's not ironic. It's a reflection of justice, rather than revenge.

If you want to reduce offending and particularly youth offending, we need lots of really important things to happen. More funding for children's programs, schools, DV provision, healthcare, policing so many things. But locking more children up for longer will increase offending. Not reduce it.

Again, horrible, traumatic thing that happened and anger is completely understandable. And it's much easier to be angry at him than his abusive father, disinterested mother, the people who were violent around his, the policies that reduced his chances, the schools that failed him because of funding, the closed sure start centre, the drinking in his pregnancy and on and on. But that sort of thing is to blame. As much as he is.

Wouldn't anybody? I know I would.

YANBU. I dont care about "think of the children". If a kid wants to play like a big boy gangsta and commit crimes, he can spend it in prison with adults for all I care. Criminal children should be tried and imprisoned with adults as should the parents who dragged them up.

So sorry this has happened to you, clearly not his first and only offence, he appears quite accomplished.
I do think we now need to be hauling parents into court, like they are now doing in the US when some scrote shoots up his own school. Shouldb go fo those carrying knives too in this country. Sick of parents notbtaking responsibility for their offspring.

The nastiest little scrotes I know are like that because their parents are exactly the same. Not abused, not subject to adverse events. They're a loving family towards each other, but encourage bad behaviour and hurting others.

Repeated and serious youth crimes imo should be more of a social services flag to remove them from parents.

The nastiest little scrotes I know are like that because their parents are exactly the same. Not abused, not subject to adverse events. They're a loving family towards each other, but encourage bad behaviour and hurting others.

@CowboyJoanna that is interesting (and probably accurate - socialisation is incredibly powerful). I suppose some of it rests on what you believe is an ACE. Witnessing violence is. If a child sees dad act aggressively, violently so on, that's an ACE, even if dad is kind to the child. Having worked in prisons, including youth provision, I'd say the most common ones were bereavement and witnessing violence (often DV). Almost every young person had those.

Poverty is also very very common but whether that's just because the rich ones had better lawyers, who knows?

Virtually every child experiences bereavement or sees violence. Doesnt mean theyre going to transform into violent little thugs.