I hope he rots

[2AdventSevenfoldShoes]

in prison

He will go to Young Offenders Institute until he is 21, then go to 'Adult' prison. He will most likely act like the 'big I am' in YOI, but that attitude will change when he goes to Adult prison.

I agree, I really really do hope that he changes. FWIW my (limited) understanding is that when people have long sentences they get much better access to rehabilitative therapies, than people who are in and out of prison for short stretches of a few months or a couple of years over and over again. Those people learn nothing from prison but to offend, there isn't time during their short sentences to do anything constructive with them.

They're the ones who need to be the focus of rehabilitation, they are so much more dangerous to society imho.

I agree, I really really do hope that he changes. FWIW my (limited) understanding is that when people have long sentences they get much better access to rehabilitative therapies, than people who are in and out of prison for short stretches of a few months or a couple of years over and over again. Those people learn nothing from prison but to offend, there isn't time during their short sentences to do anything constructive with them.

They're the ones who need to be the focus of rehabilitation, they are so much more dangerous to society imho.

Yes, emma, they're not so keen on child-murderers in the big hoose.

Thanks Emma. If that is true about his parents, then he has not so much been brought up as dragged up. Still no excuse though, and absolutely no excuse for the swaggering behaviour in court.
And his girlfriend is proclaiming him a hero?? OMG! What has he done that is heroic other than kill an innocent child and get others to hide the evidence?

Hope his life is made hell in prison.

Mercer's swagger and bravado is symptomatic of his immaturity. I reckon by the time he reaches 30yo, he will be remorseful because he will understand by then that he has wasted his life as well as cut short the life an innocent boy.

In a civilised socity, the justice system should be about rehabilitation, not repudiation. I pray that he will see the error of his ways because if he does not, then he is truly lost and without hope.

As a society, we should really be worried about the fact that so many young people have no respect for their fellow beings and appear to be amoral as well as oblivious to the impact of their actions on themselves as well as their victims.

I pray that Rhy's family can find some sort of peace now.

hear, hear spokette

Rather hoping that once he gets to adult prison that his fellow prisoners will mete out their own form of justice - they tend not to look well on those who murder children.

well said spokette