Focus: Criminal responsibility

Two 12-year-old girls were recently charged as adults with first-degree attempted homicide for brutally stabbing their classmate 19 times at a sleepover to prove that a mythical man is real. If convicted, the girls would face up to 60 years in prison. So, are children mature enough to be held responsible for their actions? And is the correlation of gender and criminality merely a myth?

The focus of this week’s debate is on criminal responsibility and wether or not the law should adjust according to age.

These are the statements to be debated:

• Criminality is irrespective of age and gender.

• It is necessary to hold children accountable for their actions in such extreme cases.

Participants will be required to clearly state whether they are ‘for’ or ‘against’ the statement and provide their supporting arguments for the same.

If you would like to participate, send us a request at readers@gulfnews.com