Can a 12 year old be a bad person?

[Anonymous]

I ask this because I started thinking about those two 12 year old girls who stabbed their friend 19 times, and left her for dead to impress slender man or something. The girl ended up living. I guess one girl was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has to spend 40 years in a mental hospital. The other one I believe was sentenced to 25 years, but she got out early and will be monitored until she's 37. I don't know, I feel like when I was 12. My mom said that their sentences are too harsh, and she says that they aren't bad because they were just kids when it happened. What do you think?

Updates

1 y

Typo. I meant to say that when I was 12, I knew that stabbing someone was wrong.

[Klandestina]

12 is old enough to know that stabbing is a heinous crime. If they stole something from a shop, then I think advising and some proper guidance would be enough because they are still kids. But killing someone is way too far from that. 12 year olds these days know about losing virginity, I'm sure they gotta know that stabbing is a crime.

[purplepoppy]

Even toddlers instinctively know it's wrong to kill

[Sensualover2024]

Yes that can happen 2 or more si called Friends ganging up on one person I've heard many stories or seen it in the news very said

[RavVid]

Is this those New Zealand girls? There is a move about them.

[Asker]

No they are American

[RavVid]

Oh, yet another case of pyscho teen girls in a semi lesbian relationship I suppose.

I don't buy the just kids argument with all respect to your mom. You and I both knew stabbing was bad before 12. There is a legal fiction that under 14 kids have no moral understanding... and consequently can't be punished.

But what do you do with 12 yo girls who stab a friend 19 times? Send them back to school? Any custodial punishment is going to put paid to normal development and not doing so is going to be inadequate. Even at 12 I don't think they deserve better.

[HelpfulWoman]

even kids know right and wrong. it was disgusting.

[ChicoFromThe305]

Yep stupid little evil jits