Todays youth

[Warden]

This has really upset me, indeed it is heart breaking that these news stories keep appearing. In this case a 96-year-old war veteran was blinded in one eye after an attack by a 44 year old man.

BBC news here

It's a terrible story and the only positive thing about this story is that it was 2 school children who came to the victims aid and gave chase leading to the attackers arrest.

See Sky news here.

So often its our youth who get the blame for todays troubles, yet in this case they did the right thing and a 'mature' man who did the attacking.

 

[Erik]

Three years supervision?! For an attack on a 96 year old man?! In need of walking sticks?! Resulting in the loss of an eye?! :rage:

The Isle is lost.

 

[Salv]

Three years supervision?! For an attack on a 96 year old man?! In need of walking sticks?! Resulting in the loss of an eye?!

The Isle is lost.

According to other news reports the attacker is a paranoid schizophrenic.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL2236931020071022

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2718156.ece

It's a tricky one. Do we lock up the mentally ill, in case they turn violent? Or do we attempt to treat their illness and help them to become functioning members of society? There are no easy answers, but claiming that "The Isle is lost" is pointless hyperbole.

But this one is going to get political sooner rather than later.

 

[MagistrateChris]

Gee, just when I thought the American judicial system was a mess, I see this. In my cormer of the world, this would be a Felony of the Second Degree, carrying a presumption of prison, between 2 and 8 years.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Hmm...

...I suspect being in the can for having beat up a 96 year old man will cause him to be labeled a first class punk, and relegated to being someone's ...er... little friend.

 

[cemetarian]

...I suspect being in the can for having beat up a 96 year old man will cause him to be labeled a first class punk, and relegated to being someone's ...er... little friend.

Or unwillingly getting "up close and personal" WITH someone's "little friend"...........

 

[Mid-fogey]

Kinda...

Or unwillingly getting "up close and personal" WITH someone's "little friend"...........

...what I was getting at. Sometimes what goes around comes around.

 

[Riposte3]

Gee, just when I thought the American judicial system was a mess, I see this. In my cormer of the world, this would be a Felony of the Second Degree, carrying a presumption of prison, between 2 and 8 years.

Here in VA, it would be 20 to life, plus a fine of up to $100,000.

Rather appropriate, since the victim will never get his eye back.

-Jake

 

[carebear]

The criminal justice system in Britain is broken and has been for quite some time.

Eventually the voters will get fed up, or they won't. Given how long these problems have been going on and how folks there just seem to accept them, I'm not sure how long that will take.

 

[Jovan]

I saw the thread title, and was misled. In a good way. It's nice to see, as you say, a story about kids doing something right instead yet another "what the devil's wrong with these kids today?" story. (Which are all infuriating, but number so highly right now in the media.)

As has been said, tricky situation for someone who has a mental problem. Perhaps I don't know enough about paranoid schizophrenia to comment, but I don't think that's a great enough excuse for him to only get three years... of supervision. Maybe the system there is broken, I don't know. I don't live there.

 

[FedoraGent]

He should have been held up in stir...

Folks,

I just don't understand it, it's almost like he got off scot free. While I TOTALLY disagree with what he did...how does this help his victim? It doesn't and that is the part that bothers me the most.

FG.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

..how does this help his victim? It doesn't and that is the part that bothers me the most.

FG.

Just to play devil's advocate, how does locking him up help the victim?

I do think it was a terrible attack, but where paranoid schizophrenia is involved is the attacker actually going to be aware of what it is he's being punished for? I do think he should be somewhere secure though, somewhere they can ensure he takes medication and isn't a danger to himself or others.

 

[Diamondback]

We used to have specialized institutions for the criminally insane on this side of the pond, don't know about over there...

Look, if this guy's dangerous, whether he's right in the head or not, he needs to be off the streets. Plain and simple. That's just a matter of basic public safety.

Kudos to the kids, even though they took a big risk themselves tailing the guy. :eusa_clap

 

[Jovan]

Agreed, Diamondback.

 

[Feraud]

Just to play devil's advocate, how does locking him up help the victim?

I will be satisfied to know locking him up helps future victims.
The guy should be off the streets and subject to whatever rehabilitation is available.

 

[SarahLouise]

We used to have specialized institutions for the criminally insane on this side of the pond, don't know about over there...

Look, if this guy's dangerous, whether he's right in the head or not, he needs to be off the streets. Plain and simple. That's just a matter of basic public safety.

Kudos to the kids, even though they took a big risk themselves tailing the guy. :eusa_clap

I completely agree. Yes, the man quite obviously requires help but if he is still on the streets it's a high possibility that he might attack again and perhaps do more harm. I was disgusted when I heard about this story but, sadly, not surprised. Our justice system here is a complete and utter joke. I'm not sure why nobody gave up their seat for this old man, there's no way he should've been standing up in the first place.

 

[panamag8or]

He's got a mental disorder? You feel he should be treated for it? Fine, treat him for his disorder.... in prison.

 

[carebear]

If folks are known for not taking their medication properly and have demonstrated violent tendencies when off of it then they cannot be "integrated into society". They blew that chance the first time they screwed up by choosing to not take their meds.

It's not the fuzzy-bunny-happy-make-believe-world that some bleeding hearts would like to live in, but in the really-real world the right of innocent people to not be at risk from a proven offender (whatever the cause of his offense) should take precedence over fantasies of "everybody playing nice together".

 

[Diamondback]

I'm thinking Arkham Asylum from the Batman comics would do the job very nicely.

 

[Emmababy]

He's got a mental disorder? You feel he should be treated for it? Fine, treat him for his disorder.... in prison.

dude, thats kinda how it works