What punishment do you think the British legal system would deem appropriate for someone who rapes a 5 year old?

[Mintyy]

I'm not going to link because I saw this in the Daily Mail. But, really, am truly horrified.

Seeker - you may disagree that locking him away forever is the right way to go - but to say that he can be rehabilitated is misguided at best, and unsafe for other DC at worst.

BEing 14yo when you commit an offence doesn't mean that you are less likely to nreoffend, it means that you are just following a well trodden path in the case of paedophilia.

While it may be possible to rehabilitate thieves, or car offenders, etc, I DON'T believe that it is possible to rehabilitate paedophiles.

I never used the word apologist, but I DO feel that people are trying to excuse this offence by reason of his age. And I do feel that that DOES have some apologist tendencies.

If 14yo is too young to know that paedophilia is WRONG, then the age of legal responsibility should be raised. But I don't think it should be - after all, you would expect an 11yo to know better than to shoplift or commit criminal damage, or to stab someone, so why shouldn't a 14yo know better than to orally rape a 5yo?!

Well this has moved on a bit. Except it hasn't really. Just the same big divot as we go round and round..
SQ - you seem to be mixing up what I had said about this boy( isolated, remorseful etc which is what is avaialble on the article) and what I had listed as characteristics commonly with juvenile sex offender, which is NOT excusing him, or them, or making light of such things.
And I don't know why you are automatically dubious about his remorse. Is it somethnig you have never had to consider yourself? Is the language of it confusing?

I can type this again if anyone missed it the first five times I posted it. The needs of victims and offenders are not in competition with each other. They are not mutually exclusive. You don't have t ochoose between the two, and whilst the position and resourcing of victims is woeful, it will not be enhanced by choosing to put people away for long times.

Don't think anyone is excusing the crime because of his age. I think what some people are saying is that the way he is treated now should reflect his age. A very different thing.

Would I be happy to have him living next door? Well, if there wasn't going to be a 24 hour mob of pitchfork wielders or reporters on ladders, then probably yes.

More fool you then although I don't know what children you have or their ages.

Well, that moved the debate on!

Blimey you would live next door to him "seeker", i wouldn't!!! infact i would consider moving asap if i found out was my neighbour, as i wouldn't be able to let my young dcs out in the garden to play.

He has orally raped a 5 yr old but you say he doesn't need locking up? Do you really think it is behaviour you would ignore of your 14yo??

I have 3 children 6 & under and a 9yo, this boy& other predators walking the streets are the reason they do not play in the street

If these peadophiles (that is what he is) were locked up, our dcs would be safer

Please show me where I said his behaviour should be ignored.

Actually, don't bother.you will continue to read what you want to read, rather than what I actually say. Impossible to have any sort of discussion on those terms.

Seeker so there are no misunderstandings

1. Do you think what he did was wrong?
2. Do you think he thought it was wrong?
3. Do you think he should be punished for raping a 5 year old?
4. Do you really think he will never do it again?

Seeker so there are no misunderstandings

1. Do you think what he did was wrong? NOT GOING TO DIGNIFY THAT WITH AN ANSWER
2. Do you think he thought it was wrong? DON'T KNOW
3. Do you think he should be punished for raping a 5 year old? DEPENDS WHAT YOU MEAN BY PuNISHED
4. Do you really think he will never do it again? DON'T KNOW.

My turn at the quiz!

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes, and he is being.

4.Don't know.

and the point of that quiz was what, exactly?

Seeker you don't know if he knew it was wrong he covered her eyes he's a 14 year old I've met plenty of teenage boys through my daughters they would never do that to a child they may have been little sods at times though.

He's not been suitable punished pan he's had a slap on the wrist from what I gather he still lives close to her.

I am pretty sure he knew it was wrong. Which explains the reported immediate remorsefulness, before he was introduced to a barrister.

Well that's where we differ. I had posted the various punishments he was facing - it's just that the Old Testament notion of 'punishment' hasn't been meted out according to some people.

I knew what he faced I looked up the various sentencing a few months back

Enlighten us, dotty.

No Pan I would be happy if he had some sort of custodial sentence even a couple of years he isn't hardened yet we honestly can't guarantee it was his first offence only he knows if that's true.

By punishments I was referring to the vast reduction in the 'life-chances' and opportunities he was facing. That isn't to diminish the harm on the victim. The two are not linked.

In what way seeker

But you can't base sentencing on "he might have done it before"

Yes that's true Pan

I'm not you can look up sentencing guidelines online I did

dotty - if he was given 2 years in prison, what would happen is that he would go to a juvenile prison (which is just another form of warehousing) and there would be no inputs done with him about his reasons for offending and to make him a better adult when he comes out. There would be some work done with him on release licence, but by that time he will have been hardened and much more difficult to 'reach' and intervene with than if he gets a 3 year community sentence. That is the reality of our so-called criminal justice system.

You said "we honestly can't guarantee it was his first offence"