Re: Two more rants

On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:37:25 +0100, Neil Hopkins
<neil_hopkins@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jim Easterbrook wrote:
badriya <badriyavv@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:nn7ph3th1n948236nv9l5u3coe512pr2rq@xxxxxxx:

1. I could not BELIEVE the suspended sentence given to the lad who
punched a 96 year old man in the face because he was in the way on the
bus, the 96yrold having to hold on as he was unsteady on his feet. He
was blinded and is now in poor shape, health deteriorating the
policeman said. The attacker was shown coming out of court laughing
nastily.

According to Radio 4 news, the attacker was mentally ill. What punishment
do you think appropriate for mental illness?

Being treated in a secure institution until he is no longer a danger to
other people.

I have a friend whose son, now 24, is not very bright. He is dyslexic
and very slight other learning difficulties. He presents as normal
and is just a bit slow. He likes watching cartoons, has not been good
at holding down jobs and was not interested in girls.

His parents suspected he might be gay. He had mainly friends who were
younger than him, they like cartoons and his parents worried a little
about his hanging around with them. One, aged 13 and already
experienced, became close, they had a relationship. The parents
complained and my friend's son was charged with sex with a minor. He
did know it was wrong but thought it was ok because they really cared
about each other. He was 22 then but very immature.

He was sentenced to indefinite detention, that is life, and is on the
sex offenders' register. He's been in prison for 2 years now and has
no prospect of release. The parole board said he should do courses to
show he is working to deal with his problems. He was not, until
recently, allowed any courses.

If he is released it will be on licence and even being in say a pool
hall and playing a game with a minor would mean being locked up again.
He probably can't visit his mother's family in Australia as you have
to have a visa and the passport database would pick up the history.

The 13 year old was not hurt or damaged in any way as he in fact was
the instigator in this case, my friend's son not really being aware of
things. Compare this to the man injured by the lad on the bus, who
was not locked up. You could argue both of them need to be kept from
harming people so should be locked up.

What really offended me was the youth who hurt the old man coming out
of the court and laughing with his friend. It was not just a happy
laugh at being free. The news clip I saw on tv looked as if he was
laughing at having got away with it. Sneering at the police and the
system. Is it perhaps that we care less about harm done to old people
than to children? We do seem to care less about them in general,
according to the news at present.

.

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