Could have been worse, I suppose, but hardly an admission that his kid did WRONG herself. Instead, we have the "situational" excuse: she was, as it were, a victim of the company she kept. Unmentioned again was the fact that she CHOSE the company in question.
Yeah I suppose you're right. His explanation could have been worse and it also could have been better.
I'm so used to hearing: "She's a good kid and this judge is wrong!"