Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Editorials

Children who kill

BMJ 2001; 322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7278.61 (Published 13 January 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;322:61

Rapid Response:

Punishment irrational?

To say "deterrence and punishment are not rational options" is to
ignore many peoples views and ultimately make society less safe. 'The
people' obey the law when they beleive that ultimately the law benefits
them. When 'The people' stop beleiving that to be the case then they will
take the law back from the authorities and into their own hands. The mob
will rule, judge and carry out their sentence. To dismiss the need of many
people to see a 'proper punishment' as irrational is in itself irrational.
However much it may appall Wolff, punishment must be seen to be part of
the criminal justice system even if it should not.

Competing interests: No competing interests

14 January 2001
S A Fielding