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.

Ridiculous. Impossible to say without knowing the age and mental state of the perpetrator.

Silly idea for a thread.

I'm guessing that the judge had access to information about the mental state/age of the boy before making his decision.

Many parents are oblivious to how bad and how easily accesible online porn is. It's not just couples having sex and faking bad orgasms. All you need to do is click a button saying you're over 18 and there are hardcore and abusive videos available completely free of charge to anyone with internet access. I think some parents are naive enough to think that "online porn" means looking at a few still photos of naked women - it's so much worse than that.

I hope both the victim and the perpetrator get the support they need to help them begin to heal the damage that has been done.

That is truely awful and such a breach of trust. Poor girl and poor parents.

You wonder made that 14 year old a paedophile. However I do think that 14 years old is old enough to be legally responsible for your actions. It is despictable to rape a five year old.

The law is an ass. Anyone would think that the 14 year old was the victim.

I feel he should have had a suspended jail sentence and be forced to have substantial councelling. Prehaps a secure EBD school for the next four years is better than jail. I don't know.

What is awful is that the five year old and her family might meet the boy and his parents in the street. I feel that the boy should not be allowed within 50 miles of the little girl's hometown.

Presumably these children will continue to be neighbours.

That's not right. The little girl should not have to see him all the time.

The availability of porn in modern culture is destroying our children.

Worth saying twice.

Watching porn is no excuse in my book. He was 14 ffs, he knows right from wrong.

Thinking about this,

This sort of thing has been going on for time immemorial.
The porn thing was the defence argument and the judge decided to accept that argument
It doesn't mean it's definitely true

(Although for sure I agree that children accessing porn is extremely damaging).

You cannot give a child the same sentence as an adult - apart from anything else, a 14 year old would experience the passage of 10 years as a lot slower than an adult.

You need to take a step back and ask what the purpose of the justice system is. Is is to punish or to prevent a repetition or a mixture of the 2. I hope it is not just punishment and in the case of a child committing a crime, we are able to look at why it was committed and the best way to prevent a recurrence.

I am not sure what the correct outcome here would have been and fully admit that if it was my 5 year old child, no punishment would have been severe enough. However, as a society we need to consider what the best outcome would be here and what it is we are trying to achieve.

Life imprisoment until the day they are dead

But Goosey, he's been banned from looking at porn for 5 years. That's his punishment! That's it! It's hardly what anyone would call a severe sentence for raping a 5yr old. And 14 is old enough to know better.

The point of prison AFAIK is

Punishment
Rehabilitation
Protection of the public
Justice seen to be done

I would say that at the very least he needs to not be living as a neighbour to this poor little girl FFS

He is a danger to children and is now free to walk our streets, surely the key must be thrown away?

Loads of young teens look at porn find me one who hasn't seen page three girls in the paper or come down stairs and seen something on tv that their parents were watching. Too this day magazines r still found in little 'dens' in the woods or whatever that young kids find. They dont go out and rape a 5 yr old that has to be the most pathetic excuse ever! That poor poor girl :(

its in the telegraph.

He said:

"I think my hormones took over."

and the judge agreed he had been acting on "impulse".

Oh that's alright then......

I am someone who believes in rehabilitation and second chances, but when it comes to sexually abusing children I think there is no possible rehabilitation for the perpetrator.
I would be in favour of the death penalty.

"I think my hormones took over."

Standard defense of rape for rapists of all ages.

"I couldn't help it"

And of course the judge says poor lad and lets him off.

And of course everybody on this thread has seen the extensive reports and piles of evidence that the judge in this case has seen. And so are completely able to make informed comments.

One thing, though. Interesting that the prevailing opinion is that this 14 year old is old enough to be tried as an adult court and take an adult's punishment, but mumsnetters 14 year olds seem incapable of being home on their own for 30 minutes without setting fire to the house, or taking responsibility for their own behaviour at school.

Very valid point Seeker.

What is sickening about this (even more), is that even if he were an adult, his sentance would have been circa 6.5 years.

Gosh yes you're right, it is obviously the case that a 14yo who raped a 5yo should remain living as her neighbour, and just be asked to stop looking at porn for a couple of years.

How silly I was to think this was a serious crime.

Has anyone said it's not a serious crime?

Has he been put on the sex offenders register for life? (Don't know the rules about that and under 18's.) What is the likelihood of the perpetrator reoffending - based on robust studies?

I have sons, and I'm trying to get my head around them doing something like this (although they are younger). I think I'd be deeply disturbed and want my child to be given a custodial sentence in the hope that whatever was broken in him might be able to be mended. This 'punishment' won't do that. It is not normal behaviour and hormones don't make teenage boys rape young children. The judge is a disgrace.

Here's a non-DM link

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9372051/Teen-rapist-spared-jail-after-judge-rules-he-was-corrupted-by-internet-porn-world-and-society.html

Seeker, I understand that he can't be tried as an adult, and shouldn't be, but this is wildly disproportianate by any standards? The judges words are extremely inappropriate to the point of offensive at least.