The case is a clear demonstration of the futility of using the adult court system and adult criminal codes to deal with deeply troubled and troubling children.

Evidently even the mother went to social services years ago and warned of the dangers of keeping the brothers together.

 what use (or indeed true Justice)will it be to sentence these children to lengthy terms of custody as though these horrific actions were not mainly the result of society’s shortcomings in detecting their problems and preventative treatment.

 It must be emphasised that we are virtually the only country in Europe to subject children as young as this to the unnecessary ritual of criminal proceedings. Maybe Doncaster will be holding an internal enquiry but this is not good enough. surely we need an independent enquiry into what can be done about the relatively small number of children in England and Wales who are likely to prove themselves a danger to others and inter-alia our disgracefully low age of criminal responsibility. To those who recommend intervention below the age of 3:  good idea but what do we do over the next decade for those who have already  achieved that age?.”