Stephanie RengelI took a look online at noon today to see what the sentence will be for the young woman who was convicted last week of murdering Stephanie Rengel. So far nothing is in the newspapers. For those outside Ontario, the teenager was found guilty of first degree in Rengel's death. She never had a relationship with fourteen year old Stephanie, nor any confrontation with her, but an unwarranted jealousy and hatred developed which led her to convince her boyfriend to stab her "rival" to death.
It seems to me that the conviction was just, although this is still a tragedy for everyone involved. Stephanie was a bright, motivated young woman who was the victim of a bizarre hatred she didn't know existed. The young woman, known only as M.T. because of the publication ban for a minor, as well as her boyfriend, effectively ruined their lives and those of three other families.
This sad story is a reminder that crimes of passion are not restricted to adults. It also calls into question the power of sexual jealousies and the tendency of our culture to sexualize relationships far too early.
There is also the issue of forgiveness and rehabilitation. At this pointe M.T. has shown no remorse for her actions, a chilling indication of psychopathology. What if she eventually realizes the enormity of her crime and expresses contrition and a desire to change her ways? Should a teen be sentenced to twenty five years before eligibility for parole? When I worked as a chaplain intern at Kingston Penitentiary there were teenagers who had been convicted of murder. I wasn't sure that they should be treated in the same way as adults who had committed similar crimes, or that society would be well served by locking kids away until they were in their forties.
Let's say it is a given that this is a horrendous crime and that the two murderers deserved to be punished. Do you think they should be sentenced differently than adults?
This is a tough thing to consider, but lately I have been thinking more and more that teenagers need to be held accountable. As I move through the teen years with my own, I can see the dilema of the teenage brain not being as mature as the teenage body. Teens make poor decisions. They can't manage emotions. And though at one time I would have blamed this on the parents, I see now that so much of a teen's life is out of the hands of parents. On more than one occassion our own hands have been tied legally even though we would have willingly stepped in to stop our own teen from poor decision making. I am not talking about murder here, but the teen who committed the murder must have made many smaller decisions along the way leading up to this. (and some of those decisions are the ones I am talking about, the ones that make selfishness and violence seem more and more normal, like drug use for instance) If on the one hand you block parents from intervening, then you can't really hold a teen responsible. Yet do you hold the parents responsible? Even those who were committed to their children?It seems to me that the person committing the crime is the only logical one to hold accountable, and if we are going to allow our teens to drive too early, drink too early, have the right to leave school too early, then it seems reasonable that they should be cautioned by the fact that they will be treated as adults too early.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with what pupil says, re the teenage brain not being fully developed, and thus can make poor decisions. However there are other teens who make very good decisions. Why? We may never know. The development of the brain is a very complex thing.
ReplyDeleteIt is just after 2:00 and I have heard on the CBC that M.T. has been ordered a psychological assessment. Many more things can come out of this. There is very little we know about M.T. and her family life, psychological state, etc.
I agree too with David that three families will never be the same because of this crime. I do not want to judge if the two criminals should be sentenced as teens or adults. Let's just pray that the right decision for all is made.
Thanks for offering your thoughts. There is no question that teens like everyone else who assumes adult responsibilities and priveleges must be accountable for their actions. Sometimes that is scary when recklessness and uncontrolled anger are part of the equation.
ReplyDeleteI listened to someone on radio yesterday asking similar questions about sexuality for young teens, as well as the possibilities for rehabilitation.