[PleaseNoMore]

Exactly. Those here can call for swift and horrible punishment for these children that did this but my guess is that somewhere in time they have been victims themselves.

[sockmonkey]

but my guess is that somewhere in time they have been victims themselves.

Or maybe they're just bad seeds. Ten and Eleven year olds are quite capable of knowing that sodomizing five year olds is WRONG. They are capable of making that choice. I am tired of the cult of victimology.

I have a former client who is slated for death by lethal injection in January. He is/was not a victim. The three helpless people he murdered were the victims.

[MsLady]

My guess is you are correct. These are still children and a product of there enviroment. Chances are they are or have been both abused or neglected to the extrem. This does not mean they should go unpunished, however.

[MortMan]

At the risk of seeming insensitive, prior victimization of the perpetrators doesn't change their accountability for their actions. It does mean that they should get counseling while they serve their term is whatever facility, after conviction.