"Why would someone do this?": Police investigate as boy's neck cut after cycling into wire hung across path next to school

I suppose it's quite hard to prove she was culpable without compelling evidence (was there?). Once the cops have copped out, though, it might be one to go to the local media with. The publicity might put her off trying anything like that again (or maybe it would lead to a crowdfunder for her and copycat efforts?)

The height makes it seem that it was targeted at a child.

Why do you say it will be a he?  That seems like a rather naive and misandrist take.

There's been more than one story of older women setting traps for kids on bikes before.

Old ladies got form.

e.g. https://road.cc/content/news/pensionsers-admit-laying-traps-cyclists-n-y...

Ask Matthew Parris

I hadn't realised what an unpleasant excuse for a human being Parris is! No more 'Great Lives' on Radio 4 for me!

mattsccm wrote:

Right, I am not condoning this at all, and indeed would suggest some severe physical  punishment should be brought back for this sort of thing, but I bet it was kids, indeed younger one who did it for a laugh. Sort of thing I did to catch my mates. No real malice involved. To many people here making things out of nothing. 

And what evidence are you basing that on? I don't know why kids would be wanting to do that kind of thing as they'd be more likely to be riding a bike. There is evidence of media "opinion" pieces encouraging this - Rod Liddle of the Sunday Times being an example: https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-uk-complains-over-liddle-piano-wire-column-273789

This most definitely needs to be fully investigated as a terrorist attack and anyone involved with it should be facing 10 years in prison.

(I think Rod Liddle should be brought in for 48 hours of questioning about his whereabouts at the time and also any of his "friends")

That is no excuse.

Even as a kid I knew actions had consequences, malice or not. Luckily none of these incidents have been fatal, but it's not an unreasonable outcome from a garrotte trap. Manslaughter is still killing someone, regardless of the perpetrator's legal capacity, and if they don't realise that, parents, teachers, and society at large has failed.

Wow, just wow ..

Where do the kids get their ideas from? "Other kids, older kids" - yes, but where do *they* get their culture from?

Kids can do strange things but very often the origin can be found in what the adults (increasingly in the social meejas) do or say.

That's an uncomfortable reality if we're looking for one or two people to blame but if we want change we need to understand.

I don't think that's entirely true. Children can be monsters, and that's got nothing at all to do with the adults around them.

You're right, that's why we don't have a concept of parental responsibility...

The link isn't necessarily direct (also note my comment about social media) and as I said kids do odd stuff. I'm certain though that if many adults were sporty the kids would be also. Same with regard (or not) for others, or violence "for a laugh"...

Not sure if your "we don't have a concept of parental responsibilty" was mistyped or meant to be sarcastic, but in either case it misses the point. Children are monsters because that's the way they are. Obviously upbringing will have an effect. But the desire to kill things and hurt others is to some extent inborn.

Hmm... wading into deep waters here (nature / nurture, are we more akin to thuggish chimps or bonobos etc.). And cases of "but they had a loving home..." (but of course there are often plenty of secrets hidden away in families, or a childhood).

I'm leaving this one, noting that - at least taking your last sentence - we could both say there's a question of degree here?

Yes. It's also a question of age--I'm thinking more of under 10s and particularly of under 5s. By the time they've reached an age where they are able to do any "real" harm, most children will have developed some kind of conscience.

To be honest i was an orrible little sod and although i wouldn't have done anything like this, but when we were kids we thought nothing of going to the nearby railway bridge waiting for a cyclist and dropping an anvil or an acme safe onto them and on occasion sticks of dynamite.I have no idea if it was soceity that encouraged these actions.

I would have been tempted by acme (pot)holes, if there had been any.

I blame cartoons. Including those penning opinion columns (often adopting the personae of little boys - mostly - who haven't grown up. Appeals to the monster in us, you might say?)