The whole business is horrible. Plenty of blame to go around.
Traditionally, at least since the early middle ages, the “age of reason” was considered to be seven. That’s why it is still customary to wait until seven for children to have their First Communion, when it is presumed that they can understand what they are doing.
On the other hand, a five-year-old certainly should not be doing something like this. You have to wonder what kind of family this is. Single mother, I would presume. Maybe a welfare mother. Maybe inner city minority, judging from the names.
No, I don’t think a murder charge will hold up. But something has to be done—God knows what.
The children were obviously not in a stable and loving home. That is for sure. I have children in this age group, and know with out a doubt that my 2 boys would never in a million years do this to their 1 year-old sister (and they are not at the “age of reason” yet either).