Should child criminals be granted anonymity?

[Steve_uk]

We as kids had no fear or worries and neither did our parents because they knew we'd all be home safe and sound,mucky,but safe. Even did fishing,but nobody drowned or got into trouble,we just all played happily together until nearly dusk,as you were never aware of the time.
The sad part is that todays youngsters don't and won't have such a glorious past to look back on.

..and then they wonder why society has a problem with obese children.

[lookout]

This recommendation follows a report by Charles Taylor from the National College of Teaching, commissioned by former Education Secretary Michael Gove. Currently any child appearing in a youth court is granted anonymity, but in the Crown Court Social Services must apply for a reporting restriction and reapply when the offended reaches 18 years of age.

Advocates of the policy say that anonymity would give the offenders a chance to reintegrate into society and make them less likely to reoffend. Those against say that the public has a right to know, and that naming and shaming acts as a deterrent to other would-be miscreants.

An example of complete anonymity is the Erdlington Two, brothers who tortured two other boys when they were ten and almost killed them. The offenders are now 18 and 19 and have been granted lifelong anonymity. However Will Cornick, who was 15 when he stabbed to death teacher Ann Maguire in 2014 was named in the Press after the judge lifted reporting restrictions in the public interest.

An example in todays Liverpool Echo increases my argument. A homeless man and his dog,sitting on the pavement minding their own business and a gang of youths came along and bashed seven bells out of him.A vicious attack which left the man bleeding,shaking and crying. Absolutely heartbreaking !
No names were given to the cowardly offenders,which is more the pity because their actions towards a vulnerable person could well be bestowed on another vulnerable person. If names had been published,then the public would be aware of those whose sickening attacks would rightly deserve the same treatment in return if tracked down. Also,they " might " be less likely to carry on their " spree " if they thought they were going to be hunted down.

[Jane]

An example in todays Liverpool Echo increases my argument. A homeless man and his dog,sitting on the pavement minding their own business and a gang of youths came along and bashed seven bells out of him.A vicious attack which left the man bleeding,shaking and crying. Absolutely heartbreaking !
No names were given to the cowardly offenders,which is more the pity because their actions towards a vulnerable person could well be bestowed on another vulnerable person. If names had been published,then the public would be aware of those whose sickening attacks would rightly deserve the same treatment in return if tracked down. Also,they " might " be less likely to carry on their " spree " if they thought they were going to be hunted down.

So you up hold vigilante rule? Can you be absolutely certain that all of their number would true, honest and law abiding citizens.....................or is there the possibility that they might be thugs looking for an excuse to carry out their thuggery and have the law behind them?

[maggie]

Imo most child criminals are victims of abuse, the wheel of abuse and disorder moves from generation to generation unless it is broken either by social care or by a more enlightened offspring who is able to understand the abuse they suffered should not be continued on the next generation. 

Children are generally innocent beings who flourish with love and care but obviously can become disordered and brutal if that is what they are taught by abusive and neglectful carers. 

Our society should be caring much more for the children, the prisons are full of abused and disordered people who have never known what security, love and unconditional love is, who are so damaged before the age of 2 or 3 that they have no idea how else to behave than with distrust. hate and anger, imo we should be ashamed of this situation in what is a rich and supposedly christian country.

[Jane]

Imo most child criminals are victims of abuse, the wheel of abuse and disorder moves from generation to generation unless it is broken either by social care or by a more enlightened offspring who is able to understand the abuse they suffered should not be continued on the next generation. 

Children are generally innocent beings who flourish with love and care but obviously can become disordered and brutal if that is what they are taught by abusive and neglectful carers. 

Our society should be caring much more for the children, the prisons are full of abused and disordered people who have never known what security, love and unconditional love is, who are so damaged before the age of 2 or 3 that they have no idea how else to behave than with distrust. hate and anger, imo we should be ashamed of this situation in what is a rich and supposedly christian country.

Speaking generally, I concur 100%. In particular? There will always be some who don't follow the rule. Adults have the power that children don't have which is why I find SO unacceptable Lookout's belief that children should have to suffer for, what is probably, abuse heaped on them by the adults in their lives.

[lookout]

So you up hold vigilante rule? Can you be absolutely certain that all of their number would true, honest and law abiding citizens.....................or is there the possibility that they might be thugs looking for an excuse to carry out their thuggery and have the law behind them?

This attack was an out an out act of thuggery on a man who was already seated for a start. It was an entirely unprovoked attack for whatever reason only the thugs would know.I say thugs because there were more than one ( isn't that brave ? ),New Years Eve at 9.30pm and they just went over to the man and started kicking him in the face.
What sort of a person would even think of carrying out such an attack ? The sort of person who laughs in the face of the law,so yes,a good pasting for each one of them,but unfortunately they will have escaped the law anyway.
Are you saying that the law goes along with this type of random thuggery ? Do you need an excuse to bash someone's face in ?
 As we know,there are a lot of ex-servicemen on the streets through no fault of their own. What if this man was one of them because it doesn't say who he is only that a charity ran to his help and someone took him in temporarily.
This is Liverpool which thankfully is reknowned for helping such people and there's been a flood of volunteers all offering their help,including mental health nurses giving their time for free.

[lookout]

Speaking generally, I concur 100%. In particular? There will always be some who don't follow the rule. Adults have the power that children don't have which is why I find SO unacceptable Lookout's belief that children should have to suffer for, what is probably, abuse heaped on them by the adults in their lives.

If children were brought up properly in the first place then there'd be little or no need for anyone to be left picking up the pieces,least of all the tax-payer if they end up in prison. Bung the parents in prison with them too for not caring.

[Jane]

This attack was an out an out act of thuggery on a man who was already seated for a start. It was an entirely unprovoked attack for whatever reason only the thugs would know.I say thugs because there were more than one ( isn't that brave ? ),New Years Eve at 9.30pm and they just went over to the man and started kicking him in the face.
What sort of a person would even think of carrying out such an attack ? The sort of person who laughs in the face of the law,so yes,a good pasting for each one of them,but unfortunately they will have escaped the law anyway.
Are you saying that the law goes along with this type of random thuggery ? Do you need an excuse to bash someone's face in ?
 As we know,there are a lot of ex-servicemen on the streets through no fault of their own. What if this man was one of them because it doesn't say who he is only that a charity ran to his help and someone took him in temporarily.
This is Liverpool which thankfully is reknowned for helping such people and there's been a flood of volunteers all offering their help,including mental health nurses giving their time for free.

I think you understand very well what is my position on this. I ABHOR violence -as I believe, does the law- and INCLUDES retaliatory violence, which it sounds as if you condone, if not encourage. I don't go down the "eye for an eye" route but I do look for something stronger, by way of punishment, than "turn the other cheek".

[Jane]

If children were brought up properly in the first place then there'd be little or no need for anyone to be left picking up the pieces,least of all the tax-payer if they end up in prison. Bung the parents in prison with them too for not caring.

But we don't live in a perfect world, Lookout, nor are we likely to if we go down the vigilante route. Patterns repeat. The damage inflicted on children by parents, in all likelihood, was inflicted on those parents by THEIR parents.

[lookout]

But we don't live in a perfect world, Lookout, nor are we likely to if we go down the vigilante route. Patterns repeat. The damage inflicted on children by parents, in all likelihood, was inflicted on those parents by THEIR parents.

I remember in the early 60's a big burly bobby who used to take his jacket off to those who thought  were " tough " and caused mischief and mayhem,rather than go through the process of booking or arresting,etc. His method worked ! There was never any more bother because of the initial shock they got.The same bobby also used to swipe them around the mouth with his leather gloves if they swore at him or gave him cheek.
A thick ear is better than a taser !

[Jane]

I remember in the early 60's a big burly bobby who used to take his jacket off to those who thought  were " tough " and caused mischief and mayhem,rather than go through the process of booking or arresting,etc. His method worked ! There was never any more bother because of the initial shock they got.The same bobby also used to swipe them around the mouth with his leather gloves if they swore at him or gave him cheek.
A thick ear is better than a taser !

How different is a policeman who thinks he can "get away with it" from a common criminal who thinks the same. Sooner or later both will try getting away with much larger things. You scream retribution, on the Jeremy Bamber threads, to those police you believe are guilty of "getting away with it".

[Steve_uk]

I was a child of the 1960s and would play out at night, not have to worry about homework until age 11 and not have to worry about a stranger as there was a homogeneous community where everybody knew everybody else. This included Police and the worst crime I can recall as a child was someone vandalizing a telephone box. What a transformation now where parents are just too flaked out after work to communicate with their kids, who rarely get exercise outside of school because they're on the computer for hours at a time(and who is supervising them?) and nobody dares to tell their little darlings off for the slightest thing lest they're castigated for interfering. Yet we have the unhappiest children in the world according to a recent survey. Something has gone badly wrong.

[lookout]

The world is nowhere near as nice a place as it used to be,particularly this country which has been run for years by idiots.

I fear for the futures of children, and having just watched a family moving to Adelaide,I'd say that they did the right thing for their young daughter. I think I'd advise anyone to go there if they want a future,or indeed a stress-free life, or even a life at all because it can only get worse here.

[lookout]

But we don't live in a perfect world, Lookout, nor are we likely to if we go down the vigilante route. Patterns repeat. The damage inflicted on children by parents, in all likelihood, was inflicted on those parents by THEIR parents.

There actually is a vigilante group in operation that helps disclose names and whereabouts of paedophiles. Nadia Sawalha and Linda Robson are its supporters.

[Jane]

There actually is a vigilante group in operation that helps disclose names and whereabouts of paedophiles. Nadia Sawalha and Linda Robson are its supporters.

I believe an innocent guy was killed horribly because vigilantes decreed him guilty of paedophilia. When hounds are hungry for blood, they don't care whose it is. It's what happens when mobs rule.