Response to 'Adult crime, adult punishment'

IDS Editorial Board decided to share their opinion on “adult crime and adult punishment.” Basically, their logic is as follows: If a crime is “crime of a man” the person who committed the crime should be treated as an adult (because he wants to be seen as an adult — “he certainly was acting like one”). I am not convinced about this logic:

1. What is a crime of a man/adult? Murder is an adult crime, stealing a chocolate bar is teenager crime? The more severe the more adult? This is a misunderstanding — crime is crime, but the punishment of the crime should be adjusted to the offender’s mental abilities. Which leads me to the next point.

2. Which teenager does not want to be seen as an adult? Wishing to be an adult makes you an adult? So, where are the teenagers, then? Minors should be treated as minors, because their brains are still undergoing major developments — their understanding of responsibility is different to that of a grown up (and even that changes throughout life). Yes, this crime was horrible and all my thoughts are with the relatives and friends of the victims, but we cannot decide to just allow our emotions to make the decisions.

­— Harald Parzer