Should Child Soldiers Be Prosecuted

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Recommended: Child soldiers should not be given amnesty

Many children are given the choice to die or to kill others. They should be prosecuted to an extent, otherwise they should be given amnesty. Some think children should be given amnesty, others think they should be prosecuted. There are many people who think rehabilitation is a good first step. Some, think they should be sent to jail for their crimes. Many children that were previously child soldiers were either killed or orphaned (Child Soldiers pg 1). People believe the states should be responsible for deciding what happens to the children, not the country. Many people have said that rehabilitation is the right way to go. They believe the children should be given a second chance. After rehabilitation they should take several tests to identify if their mental health is ideal for interacting with others. Most of the recruits are children ages 11-14, because they are easily intimidated, which makes them vulnerable (Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted? Pg 1). …show more content…

A large group of people believe the children are replicas of criminals that have committed acts of terror or any other unlawful crimes. They believe they should be sent to jail and stay there for as long as they live. While that may seem cruel to some, others believe it is the only way to stop it. For example, a child soldier from Guantanamo Bay was prosecuted. He was 15 when he made it to the U.S. and pleaded guilty. At the age of 24 he was brought back into court, to be given the punishment. They did not punish him when he was 15, because they thought he was underage. Until, he turned 24 they kept him in custody, until they felt it was the right time to issue a punishment (The Child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo Bay Pg

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