[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I'm pretty sure if it was a relative/friend of yours murdered, your kind and helpful attitude towards the person who did it may change a bit. Good for you for being so forgiving, I'm not.

My cousin was stabbed to death. Do I want the perpetrator executed? No.

Much of my family do...but they're...dare I say...of the "punish first, ask later" mentality. I hesitate to use the equally predictable "an eye for an eye leaves us all blind" quote, but there's really no use in killing an 11 year old child.

Ask yourself - did you have a firm grasp on right and wrong at that age? I'm not defending him - but this was more than likely not done in cold blood, it was more than likely a heat-of-the-moment thing.

It just seems so prehistoric to go on screaming for the death penalty. I thought we were more civilised than that.