In the last few days the sentencing of two teenage boys has been in the press. They had savagely kicked to death a 20 year old goth girl in August 2007. At the time they began their attack on her she was cradling the head of her boyfriend who had already been subjected to a gang kicking. The two teenage boys were the ring leaders and the murderers. The girl was Sophie Lancaster. Sophie and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, both were put into hospital and it took 2 weeks for Sophie to die. As one article I've just read put it:
"Stephen Herbert, 16, and Brendan Harris, 15, repeatedly stamped upon Sophie Lancaster's head as she lay semi-conscious in a suburban park"
Lets consider this was in a public park (Bacup Park), the teenagers were intoxicated, they were part of a gang which normally number 20 plus. The goths looked different, didn't fit in and so to this degree they would of been the typical focal point for bullies. At first the gang had chatted to Robert and Sophie and then led them into the park. Once there the murder took place. Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris had also 4 months earlier been found guilty of a similar attack on a 14 year old boy and were given a mere 4 months community service. With the alcohol and the mindset of a crowd of peers the murder became an evening's entertainment. Whether it was their intention to kill Sophie is not noted in the press. However, the ignorance and lack of remorse of these attackers is apparent in a comment made by one of the police officers:
"The only thing these lads think they have done wrong is to be caught. It was almost as though they were laughing and joking about what they had done".
Herbert's and Harris's parents were equally condemned in the press because of their attitude, they had lied to the police to prevent their sons being caught, and in their catastrophic parenting skills they saw nothing wrong in letting their sons get drunk, and terrorise the community. Indeed they share the blame.
A person I know said to me, the teenager murderers who did this should be subjected to the same punishment they dealt out against Sophie and Robert. In this act of retribution these teenage boy murderers would then lose their lives. The manner and savagery of their unprovoked attack on Sophie and Robert certainly does initiate such thoughts, and the question of why should they be allowed to live the remainder of their lives although a number years in prison also comes to mind.
At the time this view was passed on to me I hadn't read about this murder. My thoughts were it was a stupid act, one which they will regret for the rest of their lives and equally paying with life does not mean a wrong senseless act is rectified. But when I consider if this were to happen to anyone I loved, I do know how I'd feel about it and my feelings would likely be to seek a settling of the score. The thing is, if a relative of a victim were to in turn kill a murderer it would be pre meditated. Perhaps even considered worse. However, the motive or revenge rather than entertainment would be justice. Of course the chances of catching a murderer are exceedingly high in the UK. From what I understand is over 95%. If murder could be justified by a revenge attack then it's likely the culprit would be caught as well. Subsequently they would spend years in prison and miss the growing up of their loved ones.
The only punishment Herbert and Harris can have which will effect them is their own conscience, but a long period of their freedom deprived will satisfy the Law. I hope during their spell in prison they think over what they have done and understand it's stupidity. Their remorse haunts them, and especially their ignorance, an ignorance which many teenagers wear like a medal. I have no doubt the young lives of Harris and Herbert were insular and depressive. Yet they made the decision to kill and in making this choice had become adults and murderers. Life is such a precious thing and should not be taken in such a way by anyone, you're a long time dead and only a short time alive.
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