Really - 10 weeks????

I don't really expect anyone to answer this on here, but were those of you who advocate corporal punishment hit as children?

If the answer is yes (and excuses about how it was 'just' smacking, or that it was discipline don't count), then can't you see that this is proof of how damaging it is? That you are perpetuating the idea that violence is the way to deal with violence?

Seriously, everyone who is advocating corporal punishment is more disgusting than the troubled young man who’ll hopefully now get the care and support he needs. What’s wrong with you?!

Namsnanny

Thank you Lucca I still don't understand why his exact age or hobbies matters though!

Nor do I, I was just answering the rather strange question

Absolutely NO to the birch.

What the answer is to this casual violence I have absolutely no idea.

rafichagran

No excuses at all for the thug that pushed that man in.
The sentence was far to lenient, but I would not like to see birching bought back, and people baying for blood and revenge are wrong.

Exactly.

No excuses at all for the thug that pushed that man in.
The sentence was far to lenient, but I would not like to see birching bought back, and people baying for blood and revenge are wrong.

Nothing to do with PC I dont like any violence or those who seem to relish it.

farview

Maybe..if everyone thought what if the victim was my father,or another loved one...feelings would be different ...not quite so PC!!!!!!

That's why we have the rule of law, rather than vendetta and blood feuds.

Maybe..if everyone thought what if the victim was my father,or another loved one...feelings would be different ...not quite so PC!!!!!!

I've just had a good idea ......
Can he swim?

Yes shame on us for not displaying violent tendencies.

Watching this kid get a good thrashing in public would make me very feel very good.

The gentleman could have hit his head and drowned - or drowned without hitting his head. The shock could have given him a heart attack. It could have been my dad who couldn't swim and was deathly afraid of falling into water. So it was attempted murder in my book.

As an elderly person I would be more than willing to attempt murder on the thugs myself - as long as they were rendered as helpless as his victim had been.

Reading some of these comments I can see why England has become what it has. Shame on you!

it occurs to me that he might have thought the bloke was a friend of his....mistaken identity? I mean a silly thing to do to a friend as a joke but not like just randomly pushing an old man in the river

This case has some similarities to the poor French child who was pushed/thrown from the balcony of I think the Tate gallery in London? The perpetrator had mental health problems and was not receiving the supervision he should have been receiving. Clearly the teenager in this case needs help and his behaviour monitored so that there is less of a chance of committing further offences of this nature. What happened to this elderly gentleman is really frightening. There should also be more research into the long term effects of cannabis particularly in relation to those who already have mental health problems.

Lucca

He liked fishing.

So a 74 year old, or possibly 78 year old may have been fishing peacefully by the river when a young man aged 18 comes along and decides it might be fun to kick him into the river.
A 15 year old filmed the attack.

Then along come two other young people, both girls, who rescue the old man.
The pair ran off afterwards but could be seen later looking at the footage together and laughing.

The man, who was rescued from the water by some young girls nearby, suffered a cut to his nose and was shaken up by the shock of the assault and the effect of the cold water, the CPS said.

Bridgeman and the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, handed themselves in a few days later.
In a victim personal statement, the man's wife said her husband believed he could have drowned and since the attack has become aggressive, depressed and is reluctant to go out.

Well done to those girls.
They are a credit to their generation.

However, the effects of this on the victim and his family will last longer than ten weeks.
The sentence is a joke.

Thank you Lucca I still don't understand why his exact age or hobbies matters though!

He liked fishing.

yggdrasil

What was the pensioner's hobby, and was he 74 or 78?

Why is this a relevant question??
Have I missed something?

Yes I agree doodledog. Hasnt violent crime gone down as far as I know. I think there were periods of time where life was very dangerous.

Good post Doodledog
My thoughts entirely.

henetha

I only know this, and I'm certainly not saying we should return to old barbaric punishments, but - throughout my fairly long life I have seen the erosion of many of the old punishments alongside the decline in behaviour generally.

I'm not sure that this is true.

I grew up in the 70s, and they and the 80s were times when life was a lot more violent than now, and from what I understand it was the same in the 50s, and probably before that too. Children were routinely hit by parents and teachers, the police were violent towards both children on the street (the 'clip round the ear' that is held up now as a deterrent) and in police stations towards prisoners/suspects. Football violence was endemic. There were riots across the country. Strikes were broken up with batons and horse charges, and Belfast was riven with sectarian violence which also happened on the mainland.

You only have to look at the number of people who were hanged to see that capital punishment was not a deterrent against murder, and when physical punishment was carried out by the state it was not a deterrent either. It wasn't in school, for that matter. I remember boys boasting about being caned, and the same ones were punished time after time. It didn't help anything, as can be seen by posts on social media 'old school' groups where men in their 60s and 70s remember the way in which some teachers were sadistic and how it just encouraged a culture of anti-authoritarianism.

I don't in any way condone the actions of the young man in the case we are discussing, but I agree that brutal punishments are not the answer.

So sorry,I see that Tallulah already explained.

Callistemon

^He just pushed him in.^

As you do

With respect I think poster meant it as in “he simply went up and pushed him in with no warning”. Rather than “he only pushed him”.
Actually it seems he kicked him in.

Whilst I agree with how hideous an action this was and that the young man should bear serious consequences, I feel positively sick to hear sentiments like “public humiliation”. “Bring back the birch” expressed on here.

Having read the story now on line it appears the 19 yr old who was 18 at the time of attack, was in care from the age of 8 has ADHD and is a heavy cannabis user NONE of this excuses him in any way but maybe adds an explanation as to the ‘action without thinking’ he seems shocked and sorry so I can only hope it’s been a huge wake up call as to learning how to deal with his spontaneous reaction to situations I hope he can get some help and the poor old chap who is suffering from fear and probably flashbacks needs help too

Talullah

Callistemon

He just pushed him in.

As you do

Didn't mean to sound callous. I was answering question in previous posts that had asked if there had been any conversation between the two before he ended up in the water. Which there hadn't been. I need to clarify my comments, obviously

Apologies, Talullah
I misunderstood but see what you meant now.