Michael Levy

Posted by Julie Burtinshaw Nov 9, 2006

On Saturday October 29th, 17-year-old Michael Levy became the victim of a random attack when three teen-age boys violently assaulted him, first with a beer bottle and than a hatchet, severing his spinal cord and leaving him a quadriplegic.

Michael’s big sister, Crystal wants those three young adults tried in adult court and I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who might disagree with her.

When Crystal talks about her little brother, her voice breaks. I heard her interviewed this morning on CBC radio, and her words made me both sad and angry. I empathized with her feelings of helplessness and her sense of disbelief that such a terrible thing could happen to a boy who is a good student, a loving son, a loyal brother and a trusted friend.

The three thugs who attacked Michael are not eighteen, but they are old enough to legally drive a car. They are old enough to legally have sex. They are old enough to stay home alone, to look after younger children, to quit school, to have a job and a social-insurance number.

I would argue that by five-years of age, if not younger, children know the difference between right and wrong. By sixteen, these “children” understood exactly what they were doing when they went to a dance armed with a hatchet with the intent to hurt someone.

Crystal argues that for these reasons and because they have irrevocably changed the life of her brother, these boys must be tried in an adult court.

She’s right.

If you want to weigh in on this subject, visit the related poll at crime@suite101.com