A question for those who think a 12 year old?

[OneDrop]

should not be jailed if convicted of rape.

If jailing a 12 year old for rape deprives him of the opportunity to be rehabilitated and is likely to turn him in to a hardened criminal thus making him more of a problem to society later on, what is the reason that an 17 year old rape convict should not be spared jail?

I mean, your life is not over at 17, a 17 year old is also a child so you can make exactly the same arguments for the 17 year old can't you, he has his whole life ahead of him, he can be rehabilitated better in the community blah blah blah.

I've linked Corny's Q in so we can be clear who's been saying what in defence of the 12 year old, don't want any retracting or dithering. If the offender was 17 should he have been jailed or not? Every other circumstance the same, the victim 7 yrs old and his sister.

Let's hear it

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...947AAbCCBX
@Celia - So just to confirm then (as I seemed to have missed it) if he was 17 and not 12, should he have been jailed in your opinion?

@Roger - I take less issue with your reasoning than some others but I still think it's of the utmost importance that even a 12 year old learns the hard way that when you break the law and your actions in doing so will have a lifetime negative effect on your own sister, the 7 year old who never would have dreamt that her own brother would harm her in that way and whilst she was meant to be in the safe environment of her home, you will face the consequences. He's gotten away with it here, big time. THIS is what turns boys in to hardened criminals, when you let them off the hook, the deterrent is absent
@Alan- A link to Corny's Q is in the main body of my Q. And I'll be reading all of your answer shortly just gotta do something
@Alan - Some good questions raised but I am disappointed you didn't have the steel to say yes or no, the judge had to and based on the article I was hoping you would be able to assert your opinion on whether or not the assailant should be allowed to walk free from court despite the fact that the law says that once you reach 10 you're accountable for your crimes. I really don't understand why some are defending his escape from justice when the little girl will for the rest of her life, have to remember and live with the fact that her big brother stole her virginity and destroyed her life. She thinks it's OK now because she's 7 but when she is 17 she will realise that the criminal justice system has let her down something royal