Is Canadian Law Too Soft on Young Killers?

I know you're not saying I was judging anyone?


As for young killers...In my personal opinion, very delicate matter that should be handled taking MUCH into consideration.

I know with my own temper, and some of life's experiences that were thrown at me, I could very easily had been capable of doing some serious s*** at that age, that was against my nature; because the circumstances were right.
That, there, that is a very chilling realization to me today.
I have changed so much; learned so MUCH self control since then...
I realize as I did not quite at the time, that I was the victim of deliberate manipulations by some older neighbors... And that very thought now... that if I had acted on my emotions,..I realize just how unfair, to me, (the true victim) tossing me into a cell and throwing away the key, or frying me would have been, under said conditions.

Younger killers should most definitely be given the benefit of the doubt; worked closely with along side of well trained professionals to get to the root of their psyche, and just what they are or are not capable of; and just how cold blooded, if at all,, their crime...

We change so MUCH from those years...that to not give the benefit of the doubt would be a crime in and of itself.

I really typed that out wrong. The first part was in answering your question but the rest was on the topic alone. Sorry for putting them together and not making my post clear.

For my bit,I think the laws for kids and Teens who break the law in any way are far to soft today.
Those laws were written many years ago,back then there was the electric media we have today and things were different in the way of lifestyle.

Today they have far to much time on their hands,and for many they've learned that if they yell and scream (little kids on this point) they'll get what they want,and in my eye's,this is so wrong .What they deserve is a bloody good hiding to bring them back into line,BUT,we live in the "Silly Society" these days,they believe in "Spare the rod and Spoil the child",well when that child finally becomes an obnoxious little s*** that treats everyone and everything like s***, and they cross the line and break the law,I personally believe that Law should be the dealt out in force.

How many times have we seen some brain dead parent in a shopping center standing there,saying,"Darling don't do that,while the child is destroying something in the shop,or the brain dead parent is the object of the child's fury ,do they pull the child into line?? no the best they come up with is Darling don't do that,in the most whimpy voice they can come up with .

Today the laws that protect children from the full force of the law are so damned antiquated,they're almost laughable,and it's high time they were changed it appears Parents no longer want to take the responsibilty of being Parents,so maybe it's high time the laws of the country did?.
s***,I say NO to my little dog,she understands,she knows she can walk all around our front yard,but she's not allowed to go outside it (and we don't have fences)she learnt at an early age,s*** or piss in the house and I go face first into it,so she quickly learnt to stand near the back door so we knew she wanted to go out.
It's like I've said many many times,Children and Puppy's,there's no difference,the sooner they learn right from wrong the better off they'll be,and the easier a Parents/Owners life becomes.

I think when we are failed by the justice system, we have a hard time having faith in it so I understand 100% where you are coming from. I am sorry your son was made an example of. Sometimes and I will admit, it does fail sometimes. My experience is that it gets more right than it gets wrong but what I see is not through my friends or family so when it goes wrong, its not a personal impact on me but a professional one. Its easy to pass feelings with its professional, hard to do when its personal so I get where you are coming from.

And I do hope that I am not coming across as saying well, they are 12 so a slap on wrist and away you go. They need punishment but it needs to fit the age, their situation, and what was done and many other factors. Age is one factor but it really does, to me, need to be a factor.

And yes, there are minors as well as adults who will reoffend no matter what help we give them. But at 12 or any minor, I am not so inclined to write them off yet.

Agree; and for the most part I feel those type parents are pathetic. It is possible however, that they may take that stance out of fear that if they are too hard on the child (a matter of perception) that the onlooker may call the police accusing child abuse.
Many kids today are aware of such things too, and at a younger age than ever, and they take full advantage.
Some of these parents may very well be different (at home). When they come out they are more cautious; the kid notices the difference. Maybe doesn't know fully 'why' but knows this is one time mommy, daddy, won't be as hard on me...
but yeah, I think I'm going off onto another topic but just wanted to add that.

Actually I think it may have been me that went a tad off topic but if you read a Journal I wrote ages ago,called "Softly Softly ",I think I may have covered the topic way back then,and this is just another one.

I know of some Parents like the one's I described,the Mother is that thick between the ears,she was even paying for her 5yr old Daughter to have facials and finger nails painted and visits to the hairdressers that kid today is 11 and still getting whatever she wants when she wants.

Kids today know what they can get away with,that's for sure,they know the law will look after them and how to twist it in their favour,but the trouble is they forget that others have rights as well.

Instead of the courts taking a soft approach when they are hauled up in front of a Judge/Magistrate,they should be given a full dressing down,then a far more serious punishment,rather than the usual slap on the wrist.

Generally when it comes to legal matters and /or the laws of either country yours or mine, I defer to your knowledge and experience. But DSG, on this , I find we have vastly different opinions.
When a person adolescence aged and up, premeditates and carries out a violent act such as multiple murders, I don't believe they can be rehabilitated .
As a mom of three I know that kids show ' their true colors' at a fairly young age.
A 'normal' kid may in a fit of anger think and even say ' I wish you were dead' or something similar, but when the anger cools and the kid and parent has calmed down ,there generally is an apology exchanged and a talk between parent and kid.
It's just not normal , healthy or sane for anyone to plan violent actions over something like disapproval from parents. I can't see someone like that ever being able to live in society and function as part of a community. JMO

I'm pretty sure DSG realizes this and agrees with you; tis why she said "In many cases they can be rehabilitated" - not saying 'all'. There are clearly some exceptions; and you make an excellent point of it in your post.

Those parents are afraid to make their kids mad at them. they think that if the kid gets mad at mom or dad that the kid won't love them any more.
It really makes me want to chew nails.

Just an add on to my comments the other night about this.
Over the weekend here,I saw footage on the news of a young lady having her handbag stolen from her.
It showed a car come to a stop while the young lady and a girlfriend walked past,the passenger door flew open and out jumped a young kid (15) ran after them and grabbed her bag,she was dragged along the ground and the girlfriend tried to help keep hold of the bag.

It came to light that the car was stolen and driven by another young kid (age unknown),but the girls got the rego number and reported it to the Police,along with descriptions
of the two young kids.

Today? they were up in court and a judge sentenced the one who grabbed the bag 12 mths jail and the other similarly with the same sentence.

Now,the point of writing all this?I said the other night the courts should be a lot firmer with kids who break the law,Both these kids are repeat offenders and are well know to the police,at 15 and being in that position,I see they are well on their way to becoming fully fledged Crims,they won't stop at handbags,they'll go on to bigger and better things in the crime world,Why then only give them 12 months to think it over. It's high time the law?/Government? got serious with this type of child offender and had a proper jail where they get a proper sentence,it's not like they didn't know they were doing wrong,they are repeat offenders.

For first offenders,a slap on the wrist and a stern look,but kids like this need more than that because they don't care nor have any respect for the law or anybody else.
To the law makers of our societies??Wake up ,smell the coffee and change the laws,kids like this are running amuck out there,while you clowns bury your heads in the sand and be lenient with them,they need to be held accountable for their actions and punished accordingly.

Two decades is nearly twice their life already. How different were you at 22 than you were at 12? Were you practically a different person?

Could you imagine being incarcerated at the age of 12 for 20 years...then 10 years down the line, you're a totally different person but you still have 10 years of prison to face for something you did 10 years ago when you were a child.


And, once again, I see this has already been addressed a few days ago.

Better late than never. I have mixed feelings on this one. So many factors and none the same makes it really hard to even touch this topic.