Should the state be allowed to charge a child as young as 10 as an adult for homicide related crimes?
A news story just broke in our city
about a 12 year old girl attacking another 12 year old girl over a boy. The first 12 year old stabbed the second girl with a hair pick which then lodged into the heart of the victim.
To read the full story:
Kenosha Co. 7th Grader Stabs Classmate In Heart
click here:
http://wfrv.com/topstories/local_story_326165053.html
I was wondering what others think about the fact that a 12 year old in an immature fight about a boy could now stand trial as an adult and face the rest of her childhood and most of her young adult years behind bars with hardened criminals? (after she is 18 she would go to adult prison).
This is a horrible act against another child and if it were to happen against my child I would want action taken against the one that did harm.
But on the other hand this is a 12 year old that did the crime. Did she do this with a full
mature knowledge that her actions would cause her to lose her freedom for most of her adult life?
What does everyone feel on this subject? Should the state be able to sentence children in random violent acts as a grown up adult would be sentence? Or should new laws protecting the 'younger' age criminals be thought out. Can these young criminals be treated with help and be re evalutaed when they turn 21?
just wondering....
pk
