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In civilized societies we also tend to forgive the more serious offences by minors as 'part of growing up' and 'learning right from wrong'.

krapp 9y ago
Trying minors for "more serious offences" is a thing just about everywhere. It's clear this particular minor knows right from wrong, and that what he did was on the 'wrong' end of the spectrum. Would you feel the same way if he'd actually followed through on his rape threats? Or if he'd SWATted someone? At what point would you be willing to admit this "prank" wasn't harmless?
- ryanlol 9y ago
  >Trying minors for "more serious offences" is a thing just about everywhere. And not locking them up, i.e. "letting them go" is a thing in just about every civilized country. >Would you feel the same way if he'd actually followed through on his rape threats? I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. There isn't a single mention of "rape" in TFA, you're discussing a 15 year old kid possibly threatening someone on a different continent.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - krapp 9y ago
    He bombarded Mr Johnson and his wife with calls, asking her: “Am I scaring you?” and left messages threatening to “bang his daughter”, the court heard. Unless you want me to believe he was threatening to "bang" Mr. Johnson's daughter consensually, it's a rape threat.
    - ryanlol 9y ago
      It is a stretch to describe that as a rape threat. I don't believe a native English speaker would choose that wording to convey a rape threat. And again, if this was a rape threat it was a very unclear rape threat by a 15 year old kid on another continent. Not something any sane person would treat particularly seriously. Honestly, this sounds more like something along the lines of "I'm going to bang your mom", with the "mom" replaced. No sane person would assume that "I'm going to bang your mom" is a rape threat, but rather a threat of embarrassing you by engaging in sexual relations with a close family member.
      - krapp 9y ago
        > Not something any sane person would treat particularly seriously. ... because the person making the rape threat disclosed that they were on another continent so as to assure his victims and minimize psychological harm? I understand he's sympathetic because he shares the same anti-US government bias that many HN users have, and anyone with a computer and a hate-on for the Feds is a hero around here, but it shouldn't be impossible to concede that what he did was not merely a harmless prank, but a crime that deserves something more than a mere slap on the wrist and tousle of the hair.
        jimnotgym 9y ago
        > I understand he's sympathetic because he shares the same anti-US government bias that many HN users have, There is something else here. The UK and the US have very different criminal justice systems, I have noticed a definite 'bias' as you put it against the US system on HN[0]. It has been noted, for instance in the far to long running Lauri Love case, that the UK is much more lenient to young computer hackers that the US. Perhaps it is not bias, but simply different cultures? [0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16171239 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16171239
- jimnotgym 9y ago
  > It's clear this particular minor knows right from wrong > Medical experts for the defence argue that he is on the autism spectrum and at the time of his offending had the mental development of a 12 or 13-year-old. It is entirely unclear from the article that he knows right from wrong, and furthermore it is entirely unclear that he knows that that it is any worse than any other childish prank that went wrong. My son knows it is wrong to eat in his room, but he still does it, perhaps this child feels this is on the same level? Unless you can share some other resource that suggests something else, I find your claim to be completely unfounded.
  - krapp 9y ago
    >Unless you can share some other resource that suggests something else, I find your claim to be completely unfounded. The paragraph prior to the one you quoted: At one point on an internet chat he said that he had considered not sharing any more information “because it put lives at risk, but then I thought they are killing innocent people every day”, the court heard. He was aware that he was doing harm to people, and justified it based on his belief that his victims were doing greater harm.
    - jimnotgym 9y ago
      That merely establishes a mixed and confused picture, in that one article directly contradicts itself. I suggest we let the jury do their job, since they hear all of the evidence
      - krapp 9y ago
        Fair enough, but I'd suggest that for everyone who insists he should be let off the hook and given a parade as well.
- girvo 9y ago
  But he didn’t do either of those things. This is an idiotic argument.

krapp 9y ago

Trying minors for "more serious offences" is a thing just about everywhere. It's clear this particular minor knows right from wrong, and that what he did was on the 'wrong' end of the spectrum. Would you feel the same way if he'd actually followed through on his rape threats? Or if he'd SWATted someone? At what point would you be willing to admit this "prank" wasn't harmless?

ryanlol 9y ago
>Trying minors for "more serious offences" is a thing just about everywhere. And not locking them up, i.e. "letting them go" is a thing in just about every civilized country. >Would you feel the same way if he'd actually followed through on his rape threats? I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. There isn't a single mention of "rape" in TFA, you're discussing a 15 year old kid possibly threatening someone on a different continent.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- krapp 9y ago
  He bombarded Mr Johnson and his wife with calls, asking her: “Am I scaring you?” and left messages threatening to “bang his daughter”, the court heard. Unless you want me to believe he was threatening to "bang" Mr. Johnson's daughter consensually, it's a rape threat.
  - ryanlol 9y ago
    It is a stretch to describe that as a rape threat. I don't believe a native English speaker would choose that wording to convey a rape threat. And again, if this was a rape threat it was a very unclear rape threat by a 15 year old kid on another continent. Not something any sane person would treat particularly seriously. Honestly, this sounds more like something along the lines of "I'm going to bang your mom", with the "mom" replaced. No sane person would assume that "I'm going to bang your mom" is a rape threat, but rather a threat of embarrassing you by engaging in sexual relations with a close family member.
    - krapp 9y ago
      > Not something any sane person would treat particularly seriously. ... because the person making the rape threat disclosed that they were on another continent so as to assure his victims and minimize psychological harm? I understand he's sympathetic because he shares the same anti-US government bias that many HN users have, and anyone with a computer and a hate-on for the Feds is a hero around here, but it shouldn't be impossible to concede that what he did was not merely a harmless prank, but a crime that deserves something more than a mere slap on the wrist and tousle of the hair.
      - jimnotgym 9y ago
        > I understand he's sympathetic because he shares the same anti-US government bias that many HN users have, There is something else here. The UK and the US have very different criminal justice systems, I have noticed a definite 'bias' as you put it against the US system on HN[0]. It has been noted, for instance in the far to long running Lauri Love case, that the UK is much more lenient to young computer hackers that the US. Perhaps it is not bias, but simply different cultures? [0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16171239 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16171239
jimnotgym 9y ago
> It's clear this particular minor knows right from wrong > Medical experts for the defence argue that he is on the autism spectrum and at the time of his offending had the mental development of a 12 or 13-year-old. It is entirely unclear from the article that he knows right from wrong, and furthermore it is entirely unclear that he knows that that it is any worse than any other childish prank that went wrong. My son knows it is wrong to eat in his room, but he still does it, perhaps this child feels this is on the same level? Unless you can share some other resource that suggests something else, I find your claim to be completely unfounded.
- krapp 9y ago
  >Unless you can share some other resource that suggests something else, I find your claim to be completely unfounded. The paragraph prior to the one you quoted: At one point on an internet chat he said that he had considered not sharing any more information “because it put lives at risk, but then I thought they are killing innocent people every day”, the court heard. He was aware that he was doing harm to people, and justified it based on his belief that his victims were doing greater harm.
  - jimnotgym 9y ago
    That merely establishes a mixed and confused picture, in that one article directly contradicts itself. I suggest we let the jury do their job, since they hear all of the evidence
    - krapp 9y ago
      Fair enough, but I'd suggest that for everyone who insists he should be let off the hook and given a parade as well.
girvo 9y ago
But he didn’t do either of those things. This is an idiotic argument.