A tragic case, with a sensible judicial response

[DanaC]

The recent killing of a 16 year old schoolboy, by one of his classmates, in an Aberdeen school was a pretty shocking story, but it was also deeply sad for all concerned, including the young lad who committed the act. The boy was convicted of culpable homicide (what we'd call manslaughter in England, not sure what that would be in the US) and the sentencing hearing was held today.

He has been sentenced to nine years custodial (eight for the killing, and a further year for two counts of carrying weapons) with two years' supervision on release.

I've been following the reports on and off, and have found it quite upsetting. I feel so sorry, obviously, for the family whose son lost his life and in a place where he should have been safe, but I also feel deeply sorry for the lad who did it. It was a stupid little scuffle that went, in one mad moment, too far. From the very first moment the lad who had stabbed his classmate was horrified. He openly admitted to the police that it was his fault, and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. The horror of this must be unbelievable. Fucking sixteen years old, carrying a blade to make himself look cool because he was self-conscious and didn't feel like he fitted in. And in an argument over fucking biscuits, he has taken a life and destroyed his own - in seconds he turned the world upside down for himself and two families and nothing will ever be the same again for any of them.

Tragic. The court's response seems a reasonable and measured one. Though some of the newspapers have run inaccurate stories claiming the boy had previously been involved in a violent incident, there seems to have been a lack of the usual demonising - I think everybody involved could see this for the tragedy it is.

Anyway - here's more on the story:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...-bailey-gwynne