In many countries the life sentence is in practice often fixed (e.g. 18 years), but in this context, it means staying until death. What crime or situation do you think warrants a life sentence?

I can already tell that this gonna be a fun thread

Tom Petty theft

James Patrick Bulger (16 March 1990 – 12 February 1993) was a boy from Kirkby, Merseyside, England, who was murdered on 12 February 1993, at the age of two. He was abducted, tortured and murdered by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson (born 23 August 1982) and Jon Venables (born 13 August 1982). Bulger disappeared from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, while accompanying his mother. His mutilated body was found on a railway line two-and-a-half miles (4 km) away in Walton, Liverpool, two days after his murder. Thompson and Venables were charged on 20 February 1993 with Bulger's abduction and murder.

The pair were found guilty on 24 November 1993, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern English history. They were sentenced to custody until they reached adulthood, initially until the age of 18, and were released under new identities and on a lifelong licence in June 2001. In 2010, Venables was sent to prison for violating the terms of his licence of release, and was released on parole again in 2013.

The case has prompted widespread debate on the issue of how to handle young offenders when they are sentenced or released from custody.


This was a massive case in the UK and ended up causing Chucky  film being banned.

Since then both men have been released and one of them has been arrested for Child Porn.  It cost millions to give them new identities. 

Should these have got a life sentance at such a young age?  I believe people can change, however these 2 didnt.

I remember hearing about that story in my social studies class. Horrible

and I think it depends how young they are and to what extremes they have gone and if they have any mental problems

I think anyone 14+ that doesn't have mental illnesses should be sentenced

For anyone younger their parents should be to blame imo but I guess it is a case by case kinda thing

With full evidence, I think murder and the assistance of murder should be punishable by death. I don't think you deserve to live once you take another life.

Self defence, however, is another story. I would be okay with it if someone is trying to kill you, I mean.. not everyone can disarm a guy so you're realllly limited to options; you can either be a sitting duck or you can do what needs to be done.


Life sentences... I probably wouldn't touch that. Maybe just for rapists, paedophiles, things like that, maybe....