Judge Blames Video Games for Drunk Teenage Knife Attack
Because the police told him so.
Video games ate my babies! Yes, here comes another ridiculous claim that video games have incited violence - only this time, it's come from a High Court judge overseeing a very serious attempted murder case.
Lord Turnbull believes that a 13-year-old teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was led to slash the throat of a fellow schoolboy due to his "addiction" to Gears of War 3. The game was in fact the centre of an online argument that led to the attack, which involved the boy grabbing his 14-year-old victim and striking him with a knife.
The judge, who admitted that he was led to believe police reports that determined that the video game was responsible, said, "I accept that exposure to violent video games increases the risk of violent behaviour on the viewer's part. Like many other young boys, you had a fascination for violent conduct. You decided to indulge that fascination to the extent of carrying a knife with you then you engaged in violent conduct with the knife."
It's important to note, however, that the 13-year-old was also "drunk on the day of the offence after taking alcohol for the first time," and is the father of a baby. Sadly, these obvious signs of societal collapse were duly ignored by both the judge and the defending solicitor, instead pinpointing an unhealthy obsession to an 18-rated product.
What a society we live in, when judges are trusted to make snap decisions such as these.
Source: Scotsman, Daily Record, BBC
Lord Turnbull believes that a 13-year-old teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was led to slash the throat of a fellow schoolboy due to his "addiction" to Gears of War 3. The game was in fact the centre of an online argument that led to the attack, which involved the boy grabbing his 14-year-old victim and striking him with a knife.
The judge, who admitted that he was led to believe police reports that determined that the video game was responsible, said, "I accept that exposure to violent video games increases the risk of violent behaviour on the viewer's part. Like many other young boys, you had a fascination for violent conduct. You decided to indulge that fascination to the extent of carrying a knife with you then you engaged in violent conduct with the knife."
It's important to note, however, that the 13-year-old was also "drunk on the day of the offence after taking alcohol for the first time," and is the father of a baby. Sadly, these obvious signs of societal collapse were duly ignored by both the judge and the defending solicitor, instead pinpointing an unhealthy obsession to an 18-rated product.
What a society we live in, when judges are trusted to make snap decisions such as these.
Source: Scotsman, Daily Record, BBC
Games:
Gears of War 3
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