Der JHS-Student aus Kumamoto, der viral ging, weil er einem Opfer wiederholt auf den Kopf schlug und trat, wurde von einem Familiengericht zu einer Bewährungsstrafe statt zu einer Gefängnisstrafe verurteilt. Mutter des Opfers: „Das akzeptiere ich nicht.“ Kommentatoren fordern eine Revision des Jugendstrafrechts

JHS? Sorry, but prison time is just not okay. We have laws defining when adulthood starts, and we can’t have it both ways when someone crosses the law. Age of majority means something, or it doesn’t. Feelings and what is acceptable to the victims have no sway here.

That said, absolutely compel this person to have intensive counseling and monitoring and make sure this can’t happen again. Just do it in a way consistent with the law. Or change the law, but that wouldn’t apply to this specific case anyway.

If the question is when a person should be able to face the full brunt of consequences for their actions, junior high school still seems too soon. But that debate is worth having, sure.