EDITORIAL - Young and murderous

Before more crimes are committed and written off as the exuberance of youth, lawmakers must review the law that exempts teenagers from criminal prosecution. Poverty and raging hormones could drive teenagers to commit crimes against property or abuse drugs. These youths could truly benefit from being given a second chance and undergoing rehabilitation instead of imprisonment. But minor crimes can lead to serious ones.

It’s not unusual for muggings and burglaries, for example, to lead to homicide. In the past months, children have also died at the hands of school bullies who gave free rein to sadistic tendencies, secure in the knowledge that the Juvenile Justice Law exempts them from accountability to society for their acts.

Last week the Quezon City Police District disclosed that four teenagers arrested for illegal possession of high-powered guns have been implicated in at least four murders earlier this year. The QCPD is still investigating if the four, said to be members of a teenage gang called Temple Street Trece, were involved in other killings. The four were arrested on Thursday last week after being caught indiscriminately firing their guns. Seized from them were Uzi and Ingram machine pistols, a .40-caliber pistol and .38-caliber revolver.

How did teenagers get hold of such weapons? Are they also exempted from gun laws? This exemption from criminal accountability has been abused, not just by adults behind organized crime rings who exploit youths, but also by teenagers who can’t possibly be too young and clueless to understand that murder is evil. Among the teenage criminals’ victims are youths themselves. The Temple Street Trece reportedly requires prospective members to commit murder as part of initiation rites.

This is not a simple problem of teenage hormones running amuck. This is deliberate indulgence of one’s inner murderer. Society must be protected from homicidal maniacs of whatever age. The state is duty-bound to protect the public – particularly law-abiding people – from harm.