Reply #31: The wiring

[Eloriel]

I can tell you something about the wiring of the young rapist's brain. He himself has been a victim of child sexual abuse -- apparently pretty rough sex, too. I'm 99.99999% positive this is yet another case of a child acting out what was done to him. CHildren don't have a frame of reference for this type of thing unless it's "taught" to them by others.

We can all be outraged -- okay, we SHOULD all be outraged -- but let's be equally outraged for what the little criminal himself represents: another victim himself.

Does that mean he shouldn't be punished? What it mostly means is that first and foremost he needs HELP, and quite a bit of it. And HIS abuser(s) need to be caught and punished severely. Should the 12-year old be punished too? I can't know from this vantage point, but I rather doubt it: psychological help is THE imperative.