If a child under 5 accidentally or on purpose murders someone what happens to them?
Surely they would be too young to understand what they did
In: Other
There’s a difference between murder and killing someone. Toddlers can’t murder. It’s impossible. Murder is the deliberate ending of a person’s life with intention. Toddlers can’t have intention to murder. The don’t fulfil that part of the definition of murder so charges cannot be brought against them.
All countries have an age of culpability – in England and Wales it is 10. So below 10 a child cannot be considered to be incapable of murder. They can *kill* but they would not be responsible. So they would have counselling and their parents might have social services involved, but the child wouldn’t be punished at all.
Latest Answers