In reply to:

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Say, if, a 16 year old rapes and kills a woman, but the laws within his area say he can't be sentenced to life behind bars, so he is let out at 18, is this fair?

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That's assuming that the case gets to court while he's still 16. And with gathering of evidence and witnesses or whatever, the chances that he may be 18 by the time judgement actually passes (without taking into account appeals etc) means that (according to my understanding) he faces the full force of the law.

I suppose the law aims more to rehabilitate children, rather than punish them, which could breed contempt and disregard for the law and it's enforcers later in life. Whether or not this works, I'm not sure.

God have mercy, you're a hopeless guitar player! You even make ME feel better you son of a bitch!