What Counts For Justice In 2009?
Somehow I think Melbourne’s record heatwave last week has melted whatever common sense and justice was left (if there was any left) out of sentencing those caught doing the wrong thing.
On Monday, this story about a first-time graffiti offender …
AN 18-year-old girl with no prior criminal history has been jailed (for three months) for writing her nickname on the wall of a Sydney cafe.
And then today, a 13 year old tortures a seal and is also charged with three counts of theft, and this is the result:
A BOY, 13, who tortured a seal – believed to be Hastings’ drawcard Solomon – has been fined $100 and given a good behaviour bond. …
The boy pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty and also pleaded guilty to three separate theft charges.
(the bolding is mine)
How is our justice system so out of touch?
Three months jail for writing your name on a wall, but a $100 fine and a good behaviour bond for animal torture and pleading guilty to three separate theft charges?
Our justice system is a disgrace. There is no justice here.
I’m not condoning graffiti by the way — however I think that case makes for a useful comparison.
What in the first place compels a young teenager to deliberately feed food laced with fish hooks to a seal? What belief system exists for that to happen? How does someone get to ANY age and think like that?
To be honest I’m surprised a lawyer didn’t blame some kind of “syndrome” on what happened, as it seems to be the case in more and more defence arguments.
I think the overall “disease” that is occurring is the lack of respect and responsibility … aside from this kind of act not happening in the first place, if it does — it should be dealt with more severely than a $100 fine.
This is certainly not the first example — and I’m sure it will by no means be the last — but our lawmakers have shirked their responsibilities in creating a system that delivers this kind of result.
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