Two convictions in British abuse case

Two British attackers were recently convicted of robbing, torturing, sexually abusing, and stabbing two youngsters in a secluded area. The catch? The attackers themselves are 10 and 11 years old. The two defendants are among the youngest ever in Britain to be convicted by a court of "causing grievous bodily harm." [Initially, the children were accused of "attempted murder," but they agreed to plead guilty to this less serious charge.] According to evidence heard during the trial, the two attackers beat and stabbed their victims. One of the victims, age 9, was made to eat nettles. And justice Brian Keith said that sexual degradation also took place in both cases. "What it amounted to was torture," the northern England judge explained. Detectives say that neither of the children showed remorse for the incident; allegedly, one claimed he acted out of boredom.

The Globe and Mail