Thursday, September 27, 2007

Boy of 14 who shot a girl in the eye is let off for being 'too young'

A boy of 14 who shot a girl in the eye has escaped punishment — because it is claimed he’s too young to realise what he was doing.

Lorna De-Ste-Croix, 15, was nearly blinded after the lead pellet from an air rifle embedded in her eye.

Lorna De-Ste-Croix

Her attacker, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was arrested. But now the Crown Prosecution Service say he will not go to court — because he is not old enough to understand the danger of his actions.

A CPS letter to the family says there is “insufficient evidence” to proceed with a charge of grievous bodily harm. It adds: “The prosecution would have to prove the youth intended to cause injury or was reckless.

“Although an adult ought to know that one should never pull a trigger of a gun if there is anyone in front of him, such sensible considerations may not be expected of a youth.”

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