Police Chief wants the age of criminal responsibility lowered to 12 after the Siam Paragon case debacle

[webfact]

General Torsak Sukwimol, the Thai National Police Commissioner, addressed reporters on Tuesday at Royal Thai Police headquarters. At length, although he made his call on the basis of a broader issue relating to serious criminal acts committed by those under 15, he made it clear this also encompassed challenges raised by the Siam Paragon Shopping Centre case and the massacre perpetrated on October 3rd by a 14 year old mentally ill boy.

Youth Crime Crisis: Police Chief urges that the Age of Criminal Responsibility be reduced to 12. Thailand’s top cop advocates the move following the shocking Siam Paragon case. Amidst a legal conundrum and debate over mental health, General Torsak’s proposal will  certainly spark a nationwide discussion.

Within hours after the release from custody of the 14-year-old mass killer involved in the Siam Paragon Shopping Centre massacre on October 3rd 2023 to institutional care under the 2008 Mental Health Act until he is mentally recovered to stand trial, Thailand’s National Police Chief has made a serious call for the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility in the Kingdom. It comes just a day after a senior official at the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) appeared to blame police investigators for the boy’s release from the court’s jurisdiction. 

Previously, on Thursday, December 28th, the Public Prosecutors Office in Bangkok sent back the police investigation file declaring it illegal.

 

Afterwards, police were told they may not reopen the case until the 14-year-old boy is ready to fight the charges against him.

 

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2024-01-03

 

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[ukrules]

Normally the police simply enforce the laws which are made by the politicians or 'lawmakers'

 

Because it's the job of elected officials to change laws, not appointed civil servant bureaucrats.

 

[JensenZ]

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again. A 14-year-old kills 3 in a tragic shooting, so now they want to start executing 12-year-olds. Why stop at 12 and make all children criminally responsible, of any age?

[ChipButty]

Should be reduced to the age of 10

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again.

So you say... wait and see.

[ChipButty]

I was just reading in Aussie land it's 10, 

[Srikcir]

20 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I was just reading in Aussie land it's 10, 

No state prosecutes juveniles as adults on felony charges more than Florida, where 4446 children have been charged over the past five years.

Nearly 2,00,000 children are tried in adult criminal courts in the United States each year and held in adult prisons. The United States’ criminal justice system allows prosecutors to charge minors with grave penalties without taking into account their age and adolescence.

In the United States the age varies between states, being as low as 6 years in North Carolina and as high as 12 years in California, Massachusetts, and Utah, at least for most crimes; 11 years is the minimum age for federal crimes.

 

 

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again. A 14-year-old kills 3 in a tragic shooting, so now they want to start executing 12-year-olds. Why stop at 12 and make all children criminally responsible, of any age?

And you know it won't happen again, just how is that, no one is talking about executing 12 yr-olds. 

12 yr olds are knocking about with their brothers who have guns and also just pick up a gun that their parents, have left laying around it could happen again today. Kids ain't what they used to be.

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So you say... wait and see.

It has just happened again!!!! 15yo shot a 14yo next story. 

[fondue zoo]

Moron

[redwood1]

I do not have a problem with putting 4 and 5 year olds  in the electric chair but anyone over the age of 55 should not the charged with a crime, because then I would be protected....

[chickenslegs]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Police Chief urges that the Age of Criminal Responsibility be reduced to 12.

The "debacle" in this case was not due to the age of the shooter. The police failed to follow correct procedures, which should have included a psychiatric assessment prior to questioning the boy. This failure resulted in the Youth Court ordering his release.

 

The police chief should have ensured correct procedures, especially in such a serious and high profile case. Blaming his failure on the age of criminal responsibility is just a smoke screen.

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again. A 14-year-old kills 3 in a tragic shooting, so now they want to start executing 12-year-olds. Why stop at 12 and make all children criminally responsible, of any age?

 

Are you suggesting that someone - of any age - that has a hoard of weapons, as this kid did, and planned to murder as many people as he could, should not be dealt with by the law? What has him being 14 years old got to do with anything? He's a callous murderer. And, by the way, people are not executed in Thailand. Haven't been for two decades.

[Scouse123]

I agree with the Police Chief on this for what it's worth.

 

And how about taking a leaf out of the USA law books and trying these kids as adults.

 

Instead, under current laws, they are safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with kid gloves.

[Scouse123]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

And you know it won't happen again, just how is that, no one is talking about executing 12 yr-olds. 

12 yr olds are knocking about with their brothers who have guns and also just pick up a gun that their parents, have left laying around it could happen again today. Kids ain't what they used to be.

 

 No, kids aren't what they used to be because disciple in the home and educating the kids in how to behave outside the home is non-existent.

[Pouatchee]

7 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again.

 

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So you say... wait and see.

 

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

It has just happened again!!!! 15yo shot a 14yo next story. 

 

totally agree except with the 1st poster of my quotes. as a teacher i am fully aware of the shootings in schools in the west. once, while working in a thai school, there were strange looking people walking in the halls. i went to ask my head of department who the hell these characters were. she told me none of my business and why do i care. i tried to make her understand that i was concerned for the students/ she laughed at me and told me this would never happen in a thai school...

 

right... thai schools are impervious to crazies... i quit the next day

[Scouse123]

7 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again. A 14-year-old kills 3 in a tragic shooting, so now they want to start executing 12-year-olds. Why stop at 12 and make all children criminally responsible, of any age?

 

The problem is these are not isolated incidents, kids killing here is becoming more and more frequent.

 

Too much time on their phones and TVs, and not enough education at home or in school.

 

Overreaction? I think that is you making one, as nobody has suggested executing twelve-year-olds.

[chickenslegs]

33 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Are you suggesting that someone - of any age - that has a hoard of weapons, as this kid did, and planned to murder as many people as he could, should not be dealt with by the law? What has him being 14 years old got to do with anything? He's a callous murderer. And, by the way, people are not executed in Thailand. Haven't been for two decades.

Most recent execution in Thailand was in 2018.

[Scouse123]

36 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Most recent execution in Thailand was in 2018.

 

Murder/ Robbery it was, but he maybe pleaded 'not guilty 'or the crime was particularly heinous, they usually commute these sentences to life imprisonment (20 years) if the defendant pleads guilty.

 

He was only 26 years old, so it's a weird one to me.

 

There are hundreds that are in there for years and get their sentences commuted at Amnesty times.

 

However, the previous King died in 2016 and there was a substantial 'mourning period', so quite possible there were no amnesties.

[Bangkok Barry]

46 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Most recent execution in Thailand was in 2018.

 

You are correct.

[spidermike007]

This is an outstanding idea, why should kids be afforded certain privileges? They're simply small people that's all they are, treat them like people just like anyone else make them responsible for their actions. If they commit a heinous crime let them pay for it.

 

I think this is a great thing for society and it also acts as a deterrent for the kids. Lock up bad kids, get them off the street where they make good friends in jail. 

[JensenZ]

5 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Are you suggesting that someone - of any age - that has a hoard of weapons, as this kid did, and planned to murder as many people as he could, should not be dealt with by the law? What has him being 14 years old got to do with anything? He's a callous murderer. And, by the way, people are not executed in Thailand. Haven't been for two decades.

And your reply is an overreaction to hyperbole, used to make a point. He wasn't 12, but they are calling for 12 years to be criminally liable. I knew some smarta@% was going to mention that no one is being executed in Thailand - thanks for the info.

[JensenZ]

10 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So you say... wait and see.

I won't be around long enough to see a repeat.

[JensenZ]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is an outstanding idea, why should kids be afforded certain privileges? They're simply small people that's all they are, treat them like people just like anyone else make them responsible for their actions. If they commit a heinous crime let them pay for it.

 

I think this is a great thing for society and it also acts as a deterrent for the kids. Lock up bad kids, get them off the street where they make good friends in jail. 

We are very fortunate that you are not a lawmaker, in any country.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

I knew some smarta@% was going to mention that no one is being executed in Thailand

 

Why is someone who mentions that Thailand hasn't executed anyone for years a 'smarta@%' (according to you)? I look forward to your answer, because I don't understand but am always willing to learn. 

[DrPhibes]

8 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Are you suggesting that someone - of any age - that has a hoard of weapons, as this kid did, and planned to murder as many people as he could, should not be dealt with by the law? What has him being 14 years old got to do with anything? He's a callous murderer. And, by the way, people are not executed in Thailand. Haven't been for two decades.

When I was in high school in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in the latter part of the 70's, half the vehicles in the parking lot were pickup trucks and about 1/2 of them had gun racks inside the truck with guns in them so that immediately after school you could go hunting.  Nobody thought about shooting up the school no matter how much "bullying" you got.  At 17, I had a Remington 7mm  magnum rifle, Mossburg pump 12 gauge, a Remington 1100 semiautomatic 12 gauge shotgun, a heavier than normal accurate as hell Mossburg 22 target rifle with big game scope on it, and a Ruger Mark I 22 long rifle target barrel pistol.  My friends and I were into reloading our 12 gauge shells.   All paid for working jobs while in school.  My hunting friends and I were in the top 20 kids heading off to college.  Kids these days....

[FruitPudding]

What ever happened to that Paragon shooter?

[BenStark]

10 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

What ever happened to that Paragon shooter?

 

Didn't they send you a daily update? I will ask them

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, DrPhibes said:

When I was in high school in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in the latter part of the 70's, half the vehicles in the parking lot were pickup trucks and about 1/2 of them had gun racks inside the truck with guns in them so that immediately after school you could go hunting.

 

Why would you want to hunt I presume innocent and defenseless animals?

[spidermike007]

6 hours ago, JensenZ said:

We are very fortunate that you are not a lawmaker, in any country.

Punish the bad kids! Make them pay.