These are crimes that hor- rify and bewilder, crimes that tempt us to think that if kids are capable of such evil, they must be punished without mercy. As the little boys who allegedly molested and murdered Ryan Harris begin a long and harrowing journey through the judicial system, their legal fate will preoccupy armies of lawyers and reporters. Like many an English lad, Thompson knew the train times by heart, according to the New Yorker, and he might have thought the murder would appear accidental. A month-old infant named Ignacio Bermudez Jr. began crying. All of them seemed to understand, at least formally, that what they were doing was wrong.
Kids know it's wrong to kill.
They know it's right to put their toys away. Yes, they know even at seven, unless they have a disability. Seven has tradi- tionally been considered the age of reason, a rough turning point in moral development. There's more than a grain of truth in that maxim. Sara broke eight teacups helping Dad load the dishwasher.