News > Law & Order > Story
Boy, 15, gets 60 years for StL County sex attack of girl, 6
By William C. Lhotka
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/15/2007
CLAYTON -- A judge sentenced to 60 years in prison this morning a teenager who had pleaded guilty of kidnapping, beating and sexually assaulting a neighbor in Spanish Lake on Nov. 11, 2005, when he was 13 and she was 6.
St. Louis County Circuit Judge Melvyn W. Wiesman imposed the sentence on Sherman Burnett Jr., now 15 and the youngest inmate ever housed in the county jail.
In imposing the lengthy sentence -- Burnett will be ineligible for parole until at least the year 2056, when he is 64 -- Wiesman rejected confining Burnett in a juvenile offender program in Montgomery City, Mo., where Burnett could have gotten a chance at probation as early as age 17.
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Testimony this morning disclosed that Burnett had blamed, in part, the 6-year-old for his own misfortune and had denied any sexual assaults in a recent interview with a state employee, even though he had pleaded guilty on Aug. 10 of sodomy and attempted rape, along with child kidnapping and assault.
Brent Buerck is a senior program administrator for the Missouri Division of Youth Services. He testified that he interviewed Burnett to see if the teen would be eligible for a dual jurisdiction juvenile program of his agency and the Department of Corrections.
Under questioning by prosecutor Rob Livergood, Buerck said he was told by Burnett that the incident was caused because the victim had thrown a rock at him, and Burnett had denied he tried to rape her. Buerck confirmed that there was no evidence in any of the records or police reports he saw to substantiate Burnett's new claims or to rebut the victim's statements about the attack on Nov. 11, 2005.
Buerck said, however, that it was not unusual for a teenager to minimize his crimes, and Burnett had qualified for the program. Buerck added under Livergood's questioning that Burnett had told him: ``he beat her up severely so she wouldn't remember anything.''
Under the juvenile offender program sought by defense attorney Nellie Ribaudo, Burnett would get counseling, sex offender treatment and education that he couldn't get in prison. He would have hearings when he turned 17 to see if he should continue in the program and again at 21. In that hearing, Buerck said, a judge would decide if Burnett was eligible for probation or would be turned over to the prison system for the balance of his sentence.
Wiesman rejected juvenile custody, saying Burnett was an inappropriate candidate ``in light of the severity of the assault and what appears to be a threat to the community.''
The judge then sentenced Burnett to 20 years in prison each on counts of child kidnapping and assault; and 10 years each on charges of sodomy and atttempted rape. The sentences are to be served consecutively and Burnett will be ineligible for parole until he serves 85 percent or 51 years.
Burnett showed no emotion when Wiesman pronounced sentence. Seven members of his family appeared stunned. Also in court this morning were the victim and her mother. They made no oral statement.
From her hospital bed at St. Louis Children's Hospital two days after the assault, the victim picked out Burnett from a school yearbook picture. She had half an ear torn off, a lascerated liver, a skull fracture and bruises from the top of her head to her thighs.
She told police she couldn't walk after the attack. She crawled through a hole in a fence near railroad tracks but could go no further and, as night descended in woods near her house, she tried to cover herself with leaves. A police officer found her the next morning after a massive neighborhood search.
are you saying that
if you rape and abuse a person he will smile and laugh and thank you afterwards
Given the nature of his crime I find it difficult to care.The kid needs a straightjacket, not a sixty year old sentence in jail.
I mean, it's not just the kidnapping, physical and sexual assault, but his attitude towards it ("she MADE me do it.")
He's clearly a danger to society, although sentencing him like an adult may be somewhat excessive. On the other hand, he IS 15, so he isn't exactly going to develop empathy in what, 3 years or so.
noYeah, keep crying about the 15 year old.
I am just saying that sixty years is TOO MUCHThe kid needs a straightjacket, not a sixty year old sentence in jail.
EDIT: JUST FYI, I do not sympathise with the kid that raped the girl. I think that what he did was bad and he deserved a punishment but(I will say it again) SIXTY YEARS IS TOO MUCH FOR FUCK'S SAKE.
From her hospital bed at St. Louis Children's Hospital two days after the assault, the victim picked out Burnett from a school yearbook picture. She had half an ear torn off, a lascerated liver, a skull fracture and bruises from the top of her head to her thighs.He should rot in hell and you should go there with him for suggesting his sentence was too harsh. You don't do this shit to a fucking 6 year old (or to anyone, for that matter). You're probably thinking he's not going to have much of a life because of what he did to her. Good, because she may not either.
She told police she couldn't walk after the attack. She crawled through a hole in a fence near railroad tracks but could go no further and, as night descended in woods near her house, she tried to cover herself with leaves. A police officer found her the next morning after a massive neighborhood search.
wasn't the boy 13 when he did it?OK, I'll admit to that oversight.
I don't mean to say he shouldn't be punished, but it's like seeing a 8 year old rape a 6 year old and give him prison foir life.
although people can be way different from eachother at 13
Testimony this morning disclosed that Burnett had blamed, in part, the 6-year-old for his own misfortune and had denied any sexual assaults in a recent interview with a state employee, even though he had pleaded guilty on Aug. 10 of sodomy and attempted rape, along with child kidnapping and assault.
well, we cant kill him, and putting him in a sanitarium is too much freedom for someone who would do this
so yeah what else could we do? a sanitarium is easy to fake your way out of (unless you are ACTUALLY CRAZY but this kid is obviously just evil and cruel rather than obviously crazy) so yeah hed be back and probably kidnapping again if we go that route.
How do you know that he's showing no remorse? And how do you know that he's not just making shitty excuses because he's not mature enough to take full responsibility for his actions?
This is just... terrible. The justice system no longer functions it seems! "An eye for an eye"? Fuck that shit, this is equivilent to "An arm and a leg for a fingernail"[/b].
kidnapping, beating and sexually assaulting
Well.. that was his life. By the time he gets out, he will probably kill himself.
Good.I agree completely.
He raped and nearly beat to death a 6 year old girl when he was 13; when I was 13 I was just figuring out that my dick did something magical if I rubbed it long enough.
I'm glad he got 60 years. He is obviously a danger to the community and an asshole to boot. I could MAYBE understand if it was just the sexual abuse; when you're 13 you might have the excuse of not realizing what a godawful thing that is, but the severe (nearly fatal by the sounds of it) beating AND the sexual assault AND the fact that he said she had it coming AND the fact that he wasn't bawling his little eyes out when he was sentenced to 60 years of jail time makes me think he is completely messed up.
Fuck this guy.
Shut the fuck up fatty. You don't know how bad he messed the girl's head up by doing this. Don't you dare compare 60 years of an offender to the life of an innocent victim.Read all of my posts on this topic first.
Good.
He raped and nearly beat to death a 6 year old girl when he was 13; when I was 13 I was just figuring out that my dick did something magical if I rubbed it long enough.
I'm glad he got 60 years. He is obviously a danger to the community and an asshole to boot. I could MAYBE understand if it was just the sexual abuse; when you're 13 you might have the excuse of not realizing what a godawful thing that is, but the severe (nearly fatal by the sounds of it) beating AND the sexual assault AND the fact that he said she had it coming AND the fact that he wasn't bawling his little eyes out when he was sentenced to 60 years of jail time makes me think he is completely messed up.
Fuck this guy. I think Ayolark brought up a good point though; there should be much more serious punishments for paedophilia, especially repeat offenders.
How do you know that he's showing no remorse? And how do you know that he's not just making shitty excuses because he's not mature enough to take full responsibility for his actions?These are the two posts I agree most with so far, by the way.
Honestly it is fucking unnerving reading some of these posts. Granted that it's a shitty crime but holy shit we are talking 60 years. Are we supposed to completely rule out rehabilitation simply because he's a rapist?
I'm not about to fly out to St Louis, peer over court records, and interview the parties involved. Tough if you don't like my conclusions, but I don't think I'm being irrational by any means.Then don't make any remarks. It doesn't serve any purpose at all other than contributing to the monstrous image everyone are giving him in order to justify their rabid posts. He's just a kid, and there's no good reason to lock him up for 60 years.
These are the two posts I agree most with so far, by the way.
Then don't make any remarks.I'm not going to remain silent just because you don't like what I have to say. The fact of the matter is that the subject was brought up and all I did was express an opinion on the subject which you didn't like. I don't care whether you agree with what I have to say, and I don't think that it's important to begin with. I'm entitled to state my opinion and I resent the implication that if I don't express a whiny boo-hoo sentiment towards the boy's sentence for his crime then my opinion has no right to be expressed.
well, we cant kill him, and putting him in a sanitarium is too much freedom for someone who would do this
so yeah what else could we do? a sanitarium is easy to fake your way out of (unless you are ACTUALLY CRAZY but this kid is obviously just evil and cruel rather than obviously crazy) so yeah hed be back and probably kidnapping again if we go that route.
Why sentence a might-become-pedophile currently-being-fucked-up kid like that and yet don't AT LEAST do the same for adults that commit the same crime?
Honestly it is fucking unnerving reading some of these posts. Granted that it's a shitty crime but holy shit we are talking 60 years. Are we supposed to completely rule out rehabilitation simply because he's a rapist?Yeah, I agree with this. The kid did something terrible, and he should be punished for what he did, but we need to take several things into account here:
Yeah, I agree with this. The kid did something terrible, and he should be punished for what he did, but we need to take several things into account here:This post wins this topic. Apparently some people cannot understand the reasoning behind it and think that I am SYMPATHIZING A PEDOPHILE because I think
- He was 13 when he committed the crime.
- He's a human being.
Being put in jail for 60 years is sort of ridiculous, in any rape case. Mass murderers and torturers are the ones who should be getting that kind of jail time. We're talking about a 15 year old kid who didn't kill anyone here. He's going to be 75 when he leaves prison. Do you think that this is, in any way, fair, even to someone who beat and raped a girl? And let's not forget that because he's so young, his chance of rehabilitation is bigger than usual.
But what baffles me most is that some child rapists get a couple of years in jail while this kid got 60. You can deny this all you want, but cases like this one really show how imbalanced and arbitrary the U.S. justice system is.
But what baffles me most is that some child rapists get a couple of years in jail while this kid got 60. You can deny this all you want, but cases like this one really show how imbalanced and arbitrary the U.S. justice system is.It boils down to the judge on your trial. The sentence will probably be changed after an appeal anyway, because I can't see a verdict like this being final. Not to say that the kid doesn't deserve a harsh sentence, after all this girl will live with the scars and memories of what happened for the rest of her life.
Yeah, keep crying about the 15 year old.Zeratul is 23. Zeratul has been alive for just over a third of his sentence.
I mean, seriously, the girl is SIX years old, the boy is FIFTEEN. If he doesn't know better at 15 then he's not going to know better at, say, 18. If they gave him LIFE I wouldn't have any sympathy for him. He deserves EVERY. FUCKING. YEAR. of his sentence. There is NO reason whatsoever why his sentence should be lightened.
Just for fun, let's see what this kid inflicted to get this OH SO HARSH PUNISHMENT: He should rot in hell and you should go there with him for suggesting his sentence was too harsh. You don't do this shit to a fucking 6 year old (or to anyone, for that matter). You're probably thinking he's not going to have much of a life because of what he did to her. Good, because she may not either.
She had half an ear torn off, a lascerated liver, a skull fracture and bruises from the top of her head to her thighs.
While this might be extreme, since he was a minor at the time, I really find it hard to care. He horribly beat and sexually assaulted a 6-year-old!And you also believe that the eight year-old girl who shot a classmate should get 60 years in prison? The boy might have destroyed her life while the girl actually ruined the life another child undoubtedly!
Did you read the description of the girl?
That doesn't sound like he just roughed her up a bit. It sounds like he practically tried to kill her. Half an ear torn off? Fractured skull? Seriously, I find it really hard to care that this guy deserves anything less than he is getting.
And you also believe that the eight year-old girl who shot a classmate should get 60 years in prison?I tend to feel that sex crimes should be dealt with more harshly than other crimes. But, yeah, I don't necessarily think that 60 years is necessary. I just find it really, really hard to care about this kid.
Nobody has said it wasn't horrible and no one says that he shouldn't be punished,but there is no reason to give him 60 years when he can improve and become a responsible person.
Yeah, keep crying about the 15 year old.PS, the girl WAS six. Not IS six. He WAS 13 when he committed the crime. Not fifteen.
I mean, seriously, the girl is SIX years old, the boy is FIFTEEN. If he doesn't know better at 15 then he's not going to know better at, say, 18. If they gave him LIFE I wouldn't have any sympathy for him. He deserves EVERY. FUCKING. YEAR. of his sentence. There is NO reason whatsoever why his sentence should be lightened.
Just for fun, let's see what this kid inflicted to get this OH SO HARSH PUNISHMENT: He should rot in hell and you should go there with him for suggesting his sentence was too harsh. You don't do this shit to a fucking 6 year old (or to anyone, for that matter). You're probably thinking he's not going to have much of a life because of what he did to her. Good, because she may not either.
While this might be extreme, since he was a minor at the time, I really find it hard to care. He horribly beat and sexually assaulted a 6-year-old!Yeah, what he did was absolutely disgraceful, but sixty years. If he's going to be there, it'd probably be better to just kill him since we're talking losing his entire life for a really stupid, and really horrible mistake/explosion/etc.
Did you read the description of the girl?
That doesn't sound like he just roughed her up a bit. It sounds like he practically tried to kill her. Half an ear torn off? Fractured skull? Seriously, I find it really hard to care that this guy deserves anything less than he is getting.
Honestly it is fucking unnerving reading some of these posts. Granted that it's a shitty crime but holy shit we are talking 60 years. Are we supposed to completely rule out rehabilitation simply because he's a rapist?
Yeah, what he did was absolutely disgraceful, but sixty years. If he's going to be there, it'd probably be better to just kill him since we're talking losing his entire life for a really stupid, and really horrible mistake/explosion/etc.20-25 years without parole. He gets seriously punished, and still has a chance at a semi-normal life in his mid-life years.
Sure, for what he did I'd totally understand a 10 - 20 year sentence, but coming out as an old aged pensioner for something he'll regret incredibly 5-10 years of looking at the same cell?
I mean, jesus. Noone's experienced 60 years of life on this forum (unless someone is hiding something), we're all young, we've all lived for around a third of the sentence, maybe less in some cases (maybe more for old people like ktt). We've been alive for a long long time, and even then we can't remember our first few years. Imagine 60.
It is important not to forget that outside the area he lived, he is not very well known. Therefore people will only know that a new guy moved in the area and as long as CNN doesn't come and try to fuck up his life, then he will live there fairly peacefully.
And you also believe that the eight year-old girl who shot a classmate should get 60 years in prison? The boy might have destroyed her life while the girl actually ruined the life another child undoubtedly!
Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I was pretty sure the residents of the neighborhood you move to have to agree to let you move in or at least be alerted that a sex offender is moving in. Even if this isn't right, there is someone in pretty much every neighborhood that keeps an eye on sex offenders in the area, it's not something you can really keep secret. I've looked in my area before, it takes about two seconds to see the sex offenders anywhere in any general area.He probably has to move out of the U.S. to prevent that, but I don't believe that since he will be hated by people then he should get 60 years of prison is a valid reason.
60 years is too long for any juvenile. we don't know anything about his environment: how the kid was raised, why hed do something like this, etc. there is a reason there are protections for children in the system, because children aren't just born with fucked up values in their heads. sure, the report tells us he feels no remorse, so obviously he's been fucked up somehow.
edit:
the mere fact that this guy is so fucked up should not merit the response "LOCK HIM UP FOREVER" but "HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS HAPPEN TO A THIRTEEN YEAR OLD?". locking this kid up for 60 years puts a band aid on a festering wound. psychoanalyze this fuck and figure out what is wrong.
i am not saying he should be slapped on the wrist, this kid needs severe mental help and needs A LOT of time in a prison system. i'm not one to decide how long. but 60 years is not worth taxpayer's money. and it wastes another life.
I would say what this girl did was much worse than sexual assault.and
She had half an ear torn off, a lascerated liver, a skull fracture and bruises from the top of her head to her thighs.
We should just cut out the middle man and catapult this dumb kid straight into the sun; at least that's straight forward, and would probably cost the tax payers less!
Zeratul: You believe that if a person might destroy the life of a person (with intention?) then he deserves to rot in hell. Why doesn't all other rapist get life sentence? Why don't everyone who murders someone get life sentence? For instance there was a girl at about age 8 i think and she took her father's gun with her one day and killed one of her classmates. She should get life sentence right? I pretty sure she's out now and haven't killed another person, but you believe that she should get life sentence.I don't preside over cases. I am not a judge. I have my feelings on these matters and I have the benefit of not having a robe to uphold. Obviously judges (ideally) do not work off of their feelings and so forth and instead uphold the relevant laws (with some room left in for them to move at their discretion). If I am not mistaken, however, the worst sentences are meant to be reserved to those who willingly and in a complete sane state of mind committed a heinous crime (which he did) and demonstrate no remorse (which he has). It is in that spirit in which I wholeheartedly do not disagree with the long sentencing (although if it makes you feel any better, such a sentence probably won't hold up under appeal).
PS, the girl WAS six. Not IS six. He WAS 13 when he committed the crime. Not fifteen.That was pointed out earlier and I admitted my oversight. I'm not sure what you're trying to prove by bringing it up again.
Zeratul is 23. Zeratul has been alive for just over a third of his sentence.Zeratul understands quite well how to add and subtract numbers and therefore Zeratul is quite aware that this kid will be white haired, arthritic, and lacking knowledge of a real life beyond the prison cell if he even lives long enough to live out his sentence. Zeratul just doesn't happen to think that this is the worst of atrocities given that the girl he kidnapped and physically and sexually abused is going to be screwed for life in ways that Zeratul will not pretend to be able to predict, except of course to note that it will not be good.
Zeratul doesn't quite understand that if his sentence runs through he will be 75 years old when he leaves prison.
That was pointed out earlier and I admitted my oversight. I'm not sure what you're trying to prove by bringing it up again.oh sorry. trying to point out that i don't read threads. i just noticed it in a quote.
...I mean, of course, these are suppositions -- some people go through this type of event and come out just fine. But chances are good that she will not....
I'm not going to remain silent just because you don't like what I have to say. The fact of the matter is that the subject was brought up and all I did was express an opinion on the subject which you didn't like. I don't care whether you agree with what I have to say, and I don't think that it's important to begin with. I'm entitled to state my opinion and I resent the implication that if I don't express a whiny boo-hoo sentiment towards the boy's sentence for his crime then my opinion has no right to be expressed.I'm not SILENCING YOUR OPINION you dolt. There's just no point in saying HEH HE DOESN'T DESERVE ANY LESS HES GOT NO REMORSE because you don't know that.
I'm not SILENCING YOUR OPINION you dolt. There's just no point in saying HEH HE DOESN'T DESERVE ANY LESS HES GOT NO REMORSE because you don't know that.As opposed to the mountainous load of information you've got over me which leads to your conclusion.
I know what crime he's committed?I think Zeratul's point was that from the limited information we have, you're assuming the best of the criminal, while Zeratul's assuming the worst - with "best" and "worst" being relative here, of course: one side puts emphasis on the young age and immaturity of the boy and the other at his glaring inhumanity during court proceedings, which really is the root of this conflict. The way I see it both viewpoints are equally valid from our position so I'd prefer this meta-debate to end so we can, you know, discuss the issue.
I'm mostly annoyed by the larger issue wherein I know and hear too many people who read or listen to a story like this and their first concern -- their FIRST concern -- is the comfort and rights of the criminal. What about the victim? The criminal has all kinds of appeals he can run and in all honesty he probably won't serve more than maybe 20 years, if that -- people have gotten less time for more horrible crimes. There is almost nothing the 6 year old girl will be able to do to avoid the effect this traumatic experience is going to have on her life. Her relationship with other people will almost certainly be affected. She may never know intimacy. I mean, of course, these are suppositions -- some people go through this type of event and come out just fine. But chances are good that she will not.I think you're assuming things here - fatty did word poorly his first few posts in this thread, which probably was the thing that brought about this fiasco, but I don't think any one of us wasn't repulsed by the boy's actions. It's just that his sentence is really the only thing up for debate in that piece of news and truth be told I prefer where we're at now infinitely to yet another thread of humapnity has hit a n ew low...........
I mean, just look at the posts in this topic. Nearly everyone is largely concerned with the criminal and his rights, as if the crime he committed against a 6 year old girl was just a footnote or something. Chances are good that she is going to be fucked up for life, and I'm supposed to be up in arms because the perpetrator might be fucked for life too?
I had a girlfriend who was raped from 2 to 12. That shit fucks with your ability to live a decent life. I don't CARE if the criminal EVER gets out of jail.
I don't preside over cases. I am not a judge. I have my feelings on these matters and I have the benefit of not having a robe to uphold. Obviously judges (ideally) do not work off of their feelings and so forth and instead uphold the relevant laws (with some room left in for them to move at their discretion). If I am not mistaken, however, the worst sentences are meant to be reserved to those who willingly and in a complete sane state of mind committed a heinous crime (which he did) and demonstrate no remorse (which he has). It is in that spirit in which I wholeheartedly do not disagree with the long sentencing (although if it makes you feel any better, such a sentence probably won't hold up under appeal).After your new definition then teenagers who beat up other children on the street should also get 60 years. You must remember that they didn't say that he showed no remorse, only that he lied and I would probably lie as well in the same situation. Why do teenagers who beat up other children hardly any punishment at all (Maybe a month), but he is supposed to get 60 years.
I don't know enough about the girl's case to comment on that. Maybe it was an accident, maybe since she's 8 she didn't realize the consequences of her actions. I don't know enough to make a judgment. I don't think that each and every murder/rape is justified by a long sentence, but based on what I know about this case, I don't feel sorry for the boy
I think Zeratul's point was that from the limited information we have, you're assuming the best of the criminal, while Zeratul's assuming the worst - with "best" and "worst" being relative here, of course: one side puts emphasis on the young age and immaturity of the boy and the other at his glaring inhumanity during court proceedings, which really is the root of this conflict. The way I see it both viewpoints are equally valid from our position so I'd prefer this meta-debate to end so we can, you know, discuss the issue.Except his 'viewpoint' isn't valid at all because it's just a dumb assumption about the nature of the person which really doesn't have a place in the discussion. If he wants to discuss anything it should be the nature of the crime.
however, the worst sentences are meant to be reserved to those who willingly and in a complete sane state of mind committed a heinous crime (which he did) and demonstrate no remorse (which he has). It is in that spirit in which I wholeheartedly do not disagree with the long sentencingThis kid is 15. It is VERY LIKELY that he will develop remorse for his actions and try to be a good person again. And it's VERY LIKELY that he'll do it LONG BEFORE HIS PAROLE IS UP.
Zeratul understands quite well how to add and subtract numbers and therefore Zeratul is quite aware that this kid will be white haired' date=' arthritic, and lacking knowledge of a real life beyond the prison cell if he even lives long enough to live out his sentence. Zeratul just doesn't happen to think that this is the worst of atrocities given that the girl he kidnapped and physically and sexually abused is going to be screwed for life in ways that Zeratul will not pretend to be able to predict, except of course to note that it will not be good.[/quote']
This is a stretch, but it is a valid point: this girl can work past what happened to her and live a normal life. The boy (this is on the condition that he, at some point, realises the error of his ways which as said before is very likely) will never be able to do this.
he will be 75 years old when he leaves prison.I doubt a child molester/raper is going to live even 75 days in a prison.
ps to people saying even mass murderers etc dont get this long: they should. we arent allowed to kill them, but really they threw away their lives by being such fucking jerks.Then you should move to America, where they agree with you. Thankfully, almost all of Europe does not agree with this. The state should never be allowed to take a life or take away human rights. There's nothing modern about that.
if you do anything to willingly harm an innocent human in this extreme way, you don't deserve any rights at all.
Especially the part where he was reportedly shown no emotion at all despite hearing he'll be sentenced to 60 years in prison, tells me he's a really sick and twisted invidual.If you were sentenced to 60 years in prison, would you cry? Would you be able to comprehend that you'd not be getting out until you're 75 years old? The reason why this kid "showed no remorse" is most likely because he didn't know what to do at all. If I were sentenced to 60 years in prison, I wouldn't get it either! I'd just stare into space blankly, trying to make some sense of it all, but I doubt I would be able to! You shouldn't condemn the kid because he didn't appear to be showing any emotion.
There's one thing that people here just can't seem to comprehend, and that's the fact that this 15 year old kid is a human being and deserves to be treated like one. 60 years in prison for a crime like this seems inhumane to me. Yes, the girl was beaten up pretty bad, but she didn't retain any lasting disabilities.how does this bit make any difference, out of interest? i do not think the kid was thinking OK I WILL BEAT HER JUST ENOUGH TO NOT GIVE HER ANY LASTING DISABILITIES
There's one thing that people here just can't seem to comprehend, and that's the fact that this 15 year old kid is a human being and deserves to be treated like one. 60 years in prison for a crime like this seems inhumane to me. Yes, the girl was beaten up pretty bad, but she didn't retain any lasting disabilities. Yes, she must have been messed up psychologically by the attack, but I have no doubt that she'll grow past it and become able to live a normal life eventually. Normal, healthy people are able to do that, no matter what burden they'll carry with them from then on.
If you were sentenced to 60 years in prison, would you cry? Would you be able to comprehend that you'd not be getting out until you're 75 years old? The reason why this kid "showed no remorse" is most likely because he didn't know what to do at all. If I were sentenced to 60 years in prison, I wouldn't get it either! I'd just stare into space blankly, trying to make some sense of it all, but I doubt I would be able to! You shouldn't condemn the kid because he didn't appear to be showing any emotion.
Besides, despite the fact that he is sick and twisted, he really does have his human rights, and the right to a fair trial. No matter what you say. If you don't agree that he should, move to Myanmar.
but yeah basically this topic is just NO HE DOESNT DESERVE 60 YEARS HE IS A HUMAN vs NO HE DOES HE FUCKED UP TOO BADLY AT THIS POINT so yeah lets see another 3 pages!!no lets stop here
Childhood plays the biggest part of developing your mentality actually.I am curious as to what your parents did to you when you were 6 years old because your mentality is far from stable[/offtopic]
how does this bit make any difference, out of interest?It's a factor used to determine how harshly the criminal will be punished just like any other.
Confusion and being baffled is an emotion that's clearly visible, especially if it comes off as a huge and unprepared shock like in this case. Being emotioneless means having absolute no reaction, visually when you hear that. I know my eyes would nearly pop out from my sockets and my mouth would fall to floor.Have you ever been sentenced to 60 years in prison?
i think that, like a lot of people in this topic, the judge just couldn't get over his hate of this boy in order to realise how insanely excessive and misguided this punishment is.The problem is a lot of the time the judge will give an excessive sentence, as a combination of their own emotions and as an (poor) attempt to appease the people's need for closure; ie MULTIPLE LIFE SNETENCES BACK TO BACK (just in case the person lives to the age of 200 people need to know the guy will still be in prison i guess!)
Except his 'viewpoint' isn't valid at all because it's just a dumb assumption about the nature of the person which really doesn't have a place in the discussion. If he wants to discuss anything it should be the nature of the crime.Well...what I was trying to say is that you really can't censure Zeratul for coming to the conclusion he did since the news article does paint the image of a rather unapologetic individual and his monstrous crime. I will have to agree, though, that it is pretty premature to deem the kid WITHOUT REDEMPTION based on the text, but turns out there are a few people out there who wish to argue that.
We all missed the point. Look at why he got 60 years.iirc in some states sodomy is illegal. its the best method places like texas could come up with to try to keep people from being gay
20 years for assault...
10 years for Sodomy...
10 years for attempted rape even though they counted a rape charge... (which I assume is what they meant by Sodomy, because I can't believe they would charge someone 10 years for the act itself)
Something is not right here.
iirc in some states sodomy is illegal. its the best method places like texas could come up with to try to keep people from being gayI don't think that's the point. I think what he's saying is: "Look, the total sentence for each of the crimes adds up to 40 years. Why is he getting 60?"
We all missed the point. Look at why he got 60 years.
20 years for assault...
10 years for Sodomy...
10 years for attempted rape even though they counted a rape charge... (which I assume is what they meant by Sodomy, because I can't believe they would charge someone 10 years for the act itself)
Something is not right here.
the point of prision is not to punish you, it is to rehabiliate you, to be sent to prison for 60 years defeats the whole point of PRISON.w.. no it's not. i mean, some prisons try to do that but it's an outside effort. prison is a place of punishment; a place where bad is sealed away. they don't care about rehabilitation at all, really.
the point of prision is not to punish you, it is to rehabiliate you, to be sent to prison for 60 years defeats the whole point of PRISON.Rather, prison is like a college education for criminals. You want to learn how to be a good criminal? Spend a few years in the slammer.
Eitherway, Anyone who pulls this shit before they are 18 is highly unlikely to change from what I have seen/heard. That being said. I think they the sentence was too light. If I were the judge, the kid would be sentenced to death. Why? Because I doubt any amount of prison time will change him.Man, that is terrible. I'm glad I don't live in America or any other country that supports the death penalty. There's something wrong here when people are perfectly okay with a 15 year old kid being killed for a crime he committed two years ago.
Eitherway, Anyone who pulls this shit before they are 18 is highly unlikely to change from what I have seen/heard. That being said. I think they the sentence was too light. If I were the judge, the kid would be sentenced to death. Why? Because I doubt any amount of prison time will change him. I bet he will try the same shit once he gets out of prison, so I would say he needs to be executed.
Before any of you start bitching at me, the boy basically murdered the girl in my opinion. I would put money down saying that the girl will not be okay when she grows up. She will probably be paranoid and scared of nearly everyone. A sexually assault on children under the age of 12 should be sentenced the death penalty in my books.
I don't think that's the point. I think what he's saying is: "Look, the total sentence for each of the crimes adds up to 40 years. Why is he getting 60?"
Fuck you asshole. THE SENTENCE WAS TOO LIGHT holy shit man.
I can acknowledge that what this kid did was disgusting and he needs to be punished for it, but what's with this NO SECOND CHANCES THROW HIM IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR mentality?
Why can't we give him a chance for rehabilitation? Aren't we no better than he if we just throw him away and forget about him? I know that you think you're being COMPASSIONATE by caring oh so much for this girl, but if you were really compassionate you would care for the lives of both the girl and the boy.
Rather, prison is like a college education for criminals. You want to learn how to be a good criminal? Spend a few years in the slammer.Man, that is terrible. I'm glad I don't live in America or any other country that supports the death penalty. There's something wrong here when people are perfectly okay with a 15 year old kid being killed for a crime he committed two years ago.
Well having such a horrible thing happen to her at such a young age. It does not seem likely that she will ever return to normal. How would you even begin to treat/rehabilitate a young girl from such a thing?All right, I'll try not to insult your, eh, rather draconian viewpoints.
My definition of "dead weight" is someone who can not function in society without constantly using more than they produce. A semi retarded high school drop out that becomes a grocery store clerk for the rest of his life is NOT dead weight. A woman who constantly needs meds and therapy just to live each day with out a nervous break down without a job IS.
I raise the question; why NOT remove the dead weight from society to make it better?
Again I am just stating my opinion which is open to change. If you disagree, explain why without resorting to insults. If you do and your point(s) are valid, chances are I will revoke my statements.
Well haI raise the question; why NOT remove the dead weight from society to make it better?
Well having such a horrible thing happen to her at such a young age. It does not seem likely that she will ever return to normal. How would you even begin to treat/rehabilitate a young girl from such a thing?How would you begin to treat someone like that? It's simple. First, you get someone who actually knows what he's talking about. Someone who went to med school and practices medicine with a license. Then you ask him kindly to go to work.
I raise the question; why NOT remove the dead weight from society to make it better?Because we are all human beings and we deserve to be treated as such. We are (or should be) exempt from receiving inhumane punishment, such as death, when we do something wrong.
If I wanted to be compassionate, I would have said the girl should be destroyed as well since she probably wont carry her own weight in society... ever. Such a person is merely a hindrance that wastes time and resources.
If I wanted to be compassionate, I would have said the girl should be destroyed as well since she probably wont carry her own weight in society... ever. Such a person is merely a hindrance that wastes time and resources.Haha, wow. That is maybe the dumbest thing I've ever heard anyone say.
Because we are all human beings and we deserve to be treated as such. We are (or should be) exempt from receiving inhumane punishment, such as death, when we do something wrong.
death is a punishement because nobody wants to die, I think it's that simple.So castrating is punishment? Or severing other body parts?
of course there is people who want to,but to them it wouldn't be a punishement, right?
Actually, here is something I've been meaning to ask for a while now. What exactly makes death an inhumane punishment? Hell, I'll go further, what makes death a punishment in the first place?Well, what you're doing is not just robbing someone of his life, but also of his ability to enjoy life, his ability to procreate, his ability to better his life and make up for his mistakes, as well as his ability to finish whatever he wanted to do while alive. That's not exactly a nice prospect. And you can't ever undo it; even when it's been proven that the person you executed was not guilty.
(I know nobody here would want the guy to die if it turned out death was actually a good thing!),How do you "know"? Like I posted before, a punishment is not just about retribution. Its main reasons include incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation as well.
Well, what you're doing is not just robbing someone of his life, but also of his ability to enjoy life, his ability to procreate, his ability to better his life and make up for his mistakes, as well as his ability to finish whatever he wanted to do while alive. That's not exactly a nice prospect. And you can't ever undo it; even when it's been proven that the person you executed was not guilty.I think he was actually saying 'what makes life better than death' since none of us knows what happens in death. It could be gum drops and lollipops and therefore not a punishment at all.
The reason why it's inhumane, though, is not only because of this, but also because every human being has a right to life, and nobody should have the authority to take that away.* This is a well-known concept that is present in several human rights treaties as well.How do you "know"? Like I posted before, a punishment is not just about retribution. Its main reasons include incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation as well.
It's a bit more complicated than just taking revenge on the perpetrator.
*: The "right to life" should not be misinterpreted as a "duty to live".
Actually, here is something I've been meaning to ask for a while now. What exactly makes death an inhumane punishment? Hell, I'll go further, what makes death a punishment in the first place? I mean, I can understand why we as a society would evolve to beleive death is a bad thing, since the people who beleive it are more likely to live long enough to have kids and pass the beleif onto them. But do we actually have an objective basis for which to judge the act of deing as "wrong"? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should be justified in killing people, I'm just saying is there any information out there that shows us we aren't doing the guy a favor by killing him (I know nobody here would want the guy to die if it turned out death was actually a good thing!),.... Are you trying to say that removing someone's existance from this world/destroying it completely is not a punishment because "LOL WHO KNOWS IT MIGHT END UP BEING A GOOD THING LOLOLO"
My definition of "dead weight" is someone who can not function in society without constantly using more than they produce. A semi retarded high school drop out that becomes a grocery store clerk for the rest of his life is NOT dead weight. A woman who constantly needs meds and therapy just to live each day with out a nervous break down without a job IS.You're classifying people by their industrial worth. How much money they make/take for/from the system. You know what kind of people actually believe in that shit?
.... Are you trying to say that removing someone's existance from this world/destroying it completely is not a punishment because "LOL WHO KNOWS IT MIGHT END UP BEING A GOOD THING LOLOLO"fatty i just want to say i think you're trying a little too hard to be edgy in this topic.
I think he was actually saying 'what makes life better than death' since none of us knows what happens in death. It could be gum drops and lollipops and therefore not a punishment at all.Yeah, but I think that EDC and actually anyone'll agree that JUSTICE IS SERVED is the worst possible reason to impose the death sentence on someone. True, if you want to bring RETRIBUTION upon a criminal, you'd want him to feel pretty miserable after death, but as he's dead you can't exactly verify whether his eventual torment adds up in some universal scale of justice. The death sentence is really only there for permanently erasing problems of the society (which, I'd hope, most people find less preferrable to solving them.)
You're classifying people by their industrial worth. How much money they make/take for/from the system. You know what kind of people actually believe in that shit?I thought he was sarcastic to show that if we used the same logic towards the girl as the boy, then we should destroy her as well. Someone pointed out that the boy will most likely be a burden to the society and the girl will probably be a burden as well.
You seriously need to reconsider your moral views. Because right now, it seems money is the only kind of moral base you have. And to be frank, your last few posts actually made me nauseous (not the idea, but the fact that a person can honestly believe that stuff), and I have never experienced that at GW ever before. This is like the most morally disgusting shit I've read on here ever. I've read similar on youtube but I've pretty much discounted them. Reading stuff like that on GW is pretty shocking though.
The point of living isn't making society money. It's just a ride.
fatty i just want to say i think you're trying a little too hard to be edgy in this topic.:fogetsmile:
i LOVE how everybody who saideverybody=just me right?
I AM DONE WITH THIS TOPIC MOTHERFUCKS
came back and posted again several times
I think that the more GW realises that that Youtube hate-morality is coming here, the better because then we will be ready to face threats like KK4 and XaviarCraig, despite the fact that some people haven't realised the importance of the situation yet.a really good post (Click to reveal)You're classifying people by their industrial worth. How much money they make/take for/from the system. You know what kind of people actually believe in that shit?
You seriously need to reconsider your moral views. Because right now, it seems money is the only kind of moral base you have. And to be frank, your last few posts actually made me nauseous (not the idea, but the fact that a person can honestly believe that stuff), and I have never experienced that at GW ever before. This is like the most morally disgusting shit I've read on here ever. I've read similar on youtube but I've pretty much discounted them. Reading stuff like that on GW is pretty shocking though.
The point of living isn't making society money. It's just a ride.
fatty i just want to say i think you're trying a little too hard to be edgy in this topic.He's right though. Doubting whether capital punishment is severe or not based on the fact you don't know what happens in the afterlife is pretty astonishingly stupid.
Wrong, punishment means punishment, not teaching.Everybody who had been involved in founding modern civilization disagrees with you.
Wrong, punishment means punishment, not teaching.Well thats dumb. Thats like saying spank a child just to spank him, not to teach him not to steal a cookie from the jar again[thats ][/thats], hypothetically speaking.
:fogetsmile:everybody=just me right?I think you'll find that Couch posted after me! But beyond that I have no idea what you're trying to tell me.
He's right though. Doubting whether capital punishment is severe or not based on the fact you don't know what happens in the afterlife is pretty astonishingly stupid.You're correct, but I was just wondering if I'm really the only one bothered by how aggressive fatty suddenly became in this thread? I just find it slightly unbecoming of him to make what are essentially misappropriated The Truth posts.
Everybody who had been involved in founding modern civilization disagrees with you.
(Since you didn't give any arguments, I guess I don't need to do that either, but it's still true.)
Well thats dumb. Thats like saying spank a child just to spank him, not to teach him not to steal a cookie from the jar again[thats called child abuse, btw], hypothetically speaking.
Well, I thinkI think a lot of things, too.
Everybody who had been involved in founding modern civilization disagrees with you.
(Since you didn't give any arguments, I guess I don't need to do that either, but it's still true.)
Raping a little girl?! Thats teh worst act that someone can do to a children, all that bastards deserve to die!!!HE STILL IS A CHILDREN!
You will probably totally destroy me in any argument, but: I wouldn't say they are correct in their assumptions that punishment=teaching, as crime rates are steadily increasing every year, with more and more repeat offenders. Obviously they are socio-economic reasons and factors in this, but it still stands to reason that the penal system does not work very well. I am not saying I have a better system, but it still doesn't work very well.I'm not saying deterrence isn't a factor, I'm saying that it's not just about one thing. Like I explained before, there are several functions a punishment given by the state fulfills. It's not all black and white.
Punishment is usually used as a deterrent rather than rehabilitation, with regards to prison. More people are deterred by jail or the prospect of returning to jail than are "fixed" by the system.
HE STILL IS A CHILDREN!Sorry, i cannot explained my self, i mean big guys that makes that kind of terrible things
He can rot for an eternity for all I care. Kidnapped, raped and abused a 6 year old? No compassion from me.
quick, someone post that horrible animated Star Trek gif probably from 4chan or something of that dude sliding underneath the closing door locklook i drew a picture
Précisement. Say bye bye to your life, kiddo. It's too bad they couldn't just give him the chair or something.You are really stupid.