Edlington brothers jailed for torture of two boys
Young pair who subjected boys to 90-minute attack involving torture and sexual humiliation to serve at least five years
A judge sentenced two young brothers who beat and tortured another pair of boys to indefinite detention today, as the head of child protectionservices in their home town apologised for the way staff had failed the public in the case.
The brothers, now 11 and 12, carried out "appalling and terrible" assaults on their younger victims after leading them from a playground to waste land in Edlington, South Yorkshire, in April last year, Mr Justice Keith told Sheffield crown court.
He told the boys that while he was setting a minimum detention period of five years, the risk they posed to the public and their lack of apparent remorse meant that they were likely to be locked away for considerably longer.
"The fact is this was prolonged, sadistic violence for no reason other than that you got a real kick out of hurting and humiliating [the victims]," he said, directly addressing the brothers. "The bottom line for the two of you is that you both pose a serious risk of harm to others. Your crimes are truly exceptional."
Neither boy reacted to the sentence, but relatives of the victims shook their heads. One of the mothers yelled abuse as the brothers were led out of court, banging a glass partition with her fist and sobbing.
Immediately afterwards, the acting head of children's services in Doncaster admitted that the department he took over last year had been "totally broken".
Nick Jarman promised a thorough investigation into why no stronger action was taken against the boys despite a long record of violent attacks by both of them against other children and adults.
Giving an unqualified apology for the "admitted failings which led to this terrible incident", Jarman said action would be taken against staff deemed to have mishandled the affair. Only one member of staff had been disciplined so far, he said.
Outside court, Temporary Superintendent Ian Bint, of South Yorkshire police, was asked whether the brothers' parents should face a criminal investigation. He said: "It's something we will be looking at … in the light of what has come out in court."
In the most notorious crime committed by British children since James Bulger was murdered in 1993, the brothers targeted their victims apparently at random as they rode their BMX bikes in Edlington on a Saturday morning.
They led the victims, then nine and 11, to waste ground and subjected them to a 90-minute ordeal during which they were robbed, beaten, stamped on, struck with bricks and other objects, choked and burned. They also endured a series of humiliations, many of them sexual. The older boy almost died from his injuries.
Sheffield crown court heard how the brothers had been placed with foster parents in Edlington less than three weeks before the attacks. They had grown up in nearby Doncaster with a violent, chaotic family life described by one defence barrister as "toxic".
The judge acknowledged the impact of such an upbringing but told the boys they appeared obsessed with controlling others "by domination, degradation and inflicting pain for the purpose of [your] own emotional pleasure". They also showed a "chilling detachment" and lack of remorse, he said. "You will only be released when the authorities are satisfied that the risks which you pose are such that you can safely be released."
A serious case review found that various agencies missed 31 opportunities to intervene with the boys' family.
The Young Crime Group
I can see why this inspired you to choose this issue!!
ReplyDeleteA very sad story.
Anne
This Story Is Seriously, The Most Shocking And Crazy Story I Had Evr Came Across, Including The James Bulger Case - I Really Cannot Believe Boys Of That Age Can Commit Such A Crime, Shocking, Especially If You Read Into The Issue More And look At Other Articles - You Realise Why and How They Did It.
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