Young boy won’t face criminal charges for murder

The recent news of an 8-year-old boy who was accused of killing a 1-year-old girl shocked the entire nation. When the story first broke, people thought that the boy was going to face criminal charges for the baby’s death. It has since come to light that the boy won’t face criminal charges because of the Alabama state law that forbids criminal charges because of his age.

The Jefferson County district attorney says that the child will be charged with juvenile delinquency in the case. The boy is accused of beating the toddler because she wouldn’t stop crying. At the time of the incident, the mother of the toddler was at a nightclub and the boy was left in charge of the girl.

The adults, two women, had left for the club around 10 p.m. on the night of the incident. When they returned around 2 a.m., they didn’t check on the kids. It wasn’t until 10:30 a.m. that the call to police was made regarding the toddler who was found deceased in her crib.

The little girl died of internal organ damage and severe head trauma. Her death was ruled a homicide. The boy is now in the custody of the state.

Interestingly, the toddler’s mother has been charged with manslaughter for her death. She was released on a $15,000 bond.

This is a sad case, but it is important to note that the juvenile justice system is working as intended. The boy won’t face murder charges because of his age, but the juvenile justice system might be able to provide him with services to help him learn from the mistake he made.

Source: KTLA5, “Alabama Boy, 8, Charged in ‘Vicious’ Attack That Left Baby Dead; Moms Were Clubbing at the Time: Police,” Nov. 11, 2015