Justice, Not Excuses

HEADLINE

A school should be a place where children feel safe to learn, but recent incidents of violence have made the nation ask: Is that safety slowly disappearing? Numbers of children who commit heinous crimes are shockingly rising. One thing is for sure—accountability exempts no one.

Recent tragic shooting incidents involving minors, including the incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte, and the shooting incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City, show how serious youth-related violence can become. Behind every crime are victims and families who are left to deal with fear, pain, and loss.

Social media, violent content, peer pressure, and other modern influences can affect young people every day. But influence should never become an excuse for violence. A stronger juvenile justice system should balance rehabilitation for young offenders with justice and protection for victims.

Indeed, 10 years old is too young to fully understand many of life’s consequences. Children need protection, guidance, and support because their minds are still developing. However, when a young offender commits a heinous crime, the justice system should not simply look at the offender’s age and ignore the damage done to others.

When a child’s actions result in death, trauma, or irreversible damage, the law must make sure that liability remains. Justice should not depend only on age, but also on the seriousness of the crime and the harm caused. Minors deserve protection—but victims deserve justice, too. Justice, not excuses.