Eight-year-old charged with animal cruelty

The Washington Times/UPI ^ | 7-8-03 | N/A

[JustPiper]

MIAMI, July 7 (UPI) -- An 8-year-old Miami-area boy faces felony charges after causing massive injuries to a 4-month-old kitten because, he told officials, he was bored.

The Miami Herald said the kitten suffered a fractured skull, fractured palate and head trauma when the unidentified boy swung it by its tail and slammed it to the ground near his Lauderdale Lakes home.

[JustPiper]

What a miracle and what fear with a child who does this out of boredom -shiver-

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[Pan_Yans Wife]

An 8-year-old Miami-area boy faces felony charges

I hope they read the child the Miranda warning... and I hope they realize that an eight year old does not understand what a felony is... in other words, I doubt the child thought that the consequences would be this grave.

[JustPiper]

But when you think of Dahmer, Gacy and anyone with afflicted personality disorders and psychosis, they all went through animal cruelties ;(

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I understand that. But this child has the advantage of being found today, and there is time to intervene. This child shouldn't have to face the same punisment that Dahmer or Gacy would have. In otherwords, it should matter that he is a child. He needs psychological help, immediately!

[BCrago66]

He knew the consequences and he simply derived pleasure from torturing the animals.

Animal torture of one of the most predictive signs that what we have here is a little sociopath. Next it will be human beings that he is torturing.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

He knew the consequences... see, I don't know how you can prove that with an eight year old.

He knew the cat would die?

He knew he would be charged with a felony?

Or... tell me, what psychiatric condition is he suffering from, is he delusional, schizophrenic... is his brain chemistry out of balance?

You have no way of knowing. It is premature to say, "He knew".

[HiTech RedNeck]

I'd want to dig a little further into the family history: what his mommy or daddy (I bet, a single mommy) does when she is "bored." One other thing that irks the dickens out of me is how "felony" has been defined down. That used to mean a crime that got you hanged.

[mysterio]

I was 8 once. I remember some sick kids then doing crap like this. They knew exactly what they were doing. Throw the book at him.

[Jay D. Dyson]

You have no way of knowing. It is premature to say, "He knew".

Think back to when you were 8 years old.

Did you know the difference between right and wrong at that age?

Did you understand that living things died at that age?

I know I did. And I don't believe I was ahead of the curve.

It's time we stopped making excuses for inexcusable conduct.

-Jay

[Pan_Yans Wife]

But, a felony?

This is my reasoning... I thought felonies were used when HUMANS were maliciously injured or killed... not animals. I cannot equate animal life with human life, I am sorry. And, I truly, truly suspect that this child, and your friends, were suffering from mental disorders. If throwing the book at them, protects society, then we are admitting that they are an extreme danger to society. If they are an extreme danger to society at the age of EIGHT, there has to be something else going on.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I don't think I understood that death was eternal. I don't think I had ever heard of the term felony... or was even aware of the grave consequences that would arise from doing such actions. I don't think I was aware of the extreme suffering that animals can go through. I don't think I was aware of my own strength, and what I could physically do to harm an animal.

I could go on. I just disagree. There are too many, many unanswered questions.

[mysterio]

Anyone who breaks a kitten's skull is a danger to society, 8 or 80. I have found other adults quick to forget what it was like to be 8. I remember it crystal clearly. This kid is a sociopath. Time for some long term counseling for him. I wonder if that will "bore" him?

A man of kindness to his beast is kind
Brutal actions reflect a brutal mind
Remember, He who made the brute
He who gave thee speech and reason formed him mute
He can't complain
but God's all seeing eye beholds thy cruelty
He hears his cry
He was destined to be thy servant and thy drudge
but know this : his Creator is thy judge.

I knew that one when I was 8.

[BCrago66]

I don't equate human life with animal life, but I know that animal torture is an excellence predictor for human torture - thus it is wise to get the little sociopath freak in the system, so that when he starts agressing aganst human beings he will have prior felenies causing him to do a greater amount of time.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Ah, but you are forgetting two points. If he suffers from psychosis, he will be treated as a mental patient.

And second, his conviction as a minor will not appear on his record, as an adult.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Fine, he can be a sociopath, that is possible... but that doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve psychiatric care, or a fair trial.

[mysterio]

Certainly, he deserves both. I can't help wanting to see his skull cracked, however. My mother would have done worse than that to me.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Again... we don't know enough.

Perhaps his mother is extremely abusive, and that is why he did this to the kitten.

[Eaker]

but that doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve psychiatric care, or a fair trial.

Yes, he deserves this.

He knew what he was doing. He knew it was wrong. I was an 8 yo boy once and I damn sure never even considered doing something like this. He had a total disregard for the evil that he was doing.

This kid has major problems. Really major problems. This needs to be nipped right now!

Eaker

[Pan_Yans Wife]

It will be. He will be given a fair trial, and he will receive psychiatric care. Isn't that what should happen?