BBC news is majoring this morning on the cases of 'children' (meaning anyone from 12, which most people would accept as a child's age, to 17, which most would not) who are detained for criminal offences. (The BBC likes to use the word 'youngsters' for juvenile criminals, with its comforting overtones of school caps, scrumping and dirty knees). Par for the BBC course - the senior staff of the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust could probably find their way to the Today studios blindfold, so often do their stories feature.
It's the picture accompanying the story which is of interest - of 15 year old Gareth Myatt, who died after being restrained by three prison staff. We are not told why he was in custody.
Was he really 15 when the photo was taken ? If not, isn't that a tad dishonest ?
In other BBC news - Peter Sutcliffe to stay in prison.
5 comments:
"the senior staff of the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust could probably find their way to the Today studios blindfold"
No they just follow Ming Campbell
Your post reminds me of the case of farmer Tony Martin. The burglar whom he shot and killed was often described as a "lovable youngster" (or words to that effect) and at sixteen, he was certainly at that awkward age between childhood and manhood. However the most used, if not the only picture of Fred Barras ever used always struck me as being that of a boy much younger than sixteen. But if you want to gain sympathy for a cause or an argument, you try not to present the ugly reality; instead you use something that's going to pull at the heart strings.
It's a bit like the hardened criminal appearing in court dressed in a smart suit and tie. As if he really wears that sort of clothing all the time - it's a just a cynical ploy to make others think well of you. Hopefully, the majority of people can see through this cynicism but I sometimes wonder if that's true.
Karl Rove is onto it already:-
http://www.depresident.com/gallery/viewphoto.asp?file=overflow.asp&dir=/gallery/overflow/&viewphoto=Young_George.jpg&page=2
It's the picture accompanying the story which is of interest
I beg to differ. The picture is of very limited interest compared to the story.
The inquiry found some evidence that staff would "bait" children into situations that would lead to them being restrained for the adult's "own gratification".
Well never mind about that, eh Laban... the real story here is that the BBC used the word 'youngster' to describe a young person, thereby yet again demonstrating their terrifying bias.
Children shouldn't go to prison.
They should be forced to live in the houses of lefties.
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