The Legal System Has Lost Its Marbles.

[CrashedOutAndBurned]

Yes, shocking. This is no more than a bit of 'ill show you mine if you'll show me yours' on some depressing sink estate dragged through the courts.

This could and should have been nipped in the bud well before it came to this.

[6538]

I don't know about this - I suspect that it's one of those cases which is very hard to call unbless you've actually sat through it.

I do find it noteworthy though that only a few weeks ago we had some government bird (I forget who now) being berated - probably by those on here - for suggesting that the age of criminal responsibility should be raised from ten yet now we're seeing things the other way around.

[6538]

This goes against the entire 'I have faith in hte Jury doing it's job' argument.

if even the judge states the evidence was contradictory - then how could anyone reach a guilty verdict ?

Not taking anything away from the 8 yeard old girl - no wonder she was perhaps confused. Then again who knows - children like to make stuff up all the time. Maybe this is what happened. Maybe not.

I find it interesting that all of a sudden those senile old duffers who preside over trials are suddenly in the right when the spin on a particular newspaper article tends to whip up public reaction!

Like I said above, I think it's very difficult to comment unless you were there. Let's face it, there was a jury and the kids were convicted.

[ccc]

I find it interesting that all of a sudden those senile old duffers who preside over trials are suddenly in the right when the spin on a particular newspaper article tends to whip up public reaction!

Like I said above, I think it's very difficult to comment unless you were there. Let's face it, there was a jury and the kids were convicted.

Fair point.

I just wonder how a Court/Jury can convict a couple of 10 year olds, beyond any reasonable doubt, of attempting to force sexual intercourse on a younger girl.

I just find this very difficult to understand. Whether it happened or not, and however nasty this may sound, that is besides the point. How can it be proved beyond any reasonable doubt ?

Not a nice story, but the outcome does not exactly clear things up.

[Byron]

Fair point.

I just wonder how a Court/Jury can convict a couple of 10 year olds, beyond any reasonable doubt, of attempting to force sexual intercourse on a younger girl.

I just find this very difficult to understand. Whether it happened or not, and however nasty this may sound, that is besides the point. How can it be proved beyond any reasonable doubt ?

Not a nice story, but the outcome does not exactly clear things up.

Unless they were sexually mature, it is difficult to understand the Jury's thinking in this matter.

True, thanks to the availability of porn, youngsters may have a clearer idea of what sex involves, but even if they did force the girl, surely it would be more a matter of common assault rather than a sexual assault.

Was it more a matter of 'you show me and I'll show you' that became violent?

Because the girl changed her account, we will never have a reliable idea of what occurred.