Adults dupe teen into MySpace-assisted suicide

[gumpzilla]

Okay, I missed that sentence when I read through.

[ QUOTE ]

There is a HUUUUUUUUGE difference between another kid doing it and an adult doing it. A child doesnt understand actions and consequences like an adult does. Adults are supposed to understand those things. Which is why lots of crimes children arent punished the same as adults.

[/ QUOTE ]

A 5 year old doesn't, but were the kids you knew that stupid at 14? When kids are dicks at that age, they know they are being dicks and they know it is going to hurt somebody's feelings. That is the point.

[mbillie1]

[ QUOTE ]
3. I think the legal question is whether or not a "reasonable person" could have forseen the outcome. If so, then the psycho parents are responsible for the death. I would argue that a reasonable person would forsee that serious harm would come to this child.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just think this is too much of a reach, although I see where you're going with it. But basing punitive action on what "a reasonable person could forsee" just seems too out there. I think you're assuming that a reasonable person would expect this outcome because it happened... but these sort of things happen constantly, and suicide is not the norm...

[jaymajik]

[ QUOTE ]
3. I think the legal question is whether or not a "reasonable person" could have forseen the outcome. If so, then the psycho parents are responsible for the death. I would argue that a reasonable person would forsee that serious harm would come to this child.



[/ QUOTE ]

Does US tort law have the "egg shell skull" rule? I.e. take your victims as you find them: the fact this girl was depressed and so the conseqeunces of the action were more extreme than they would have been if she was not depressed, is no excuse.

[kyleb]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
mbillie1,

Maybe they shouldn't be punished in a criminal sense, but they would almost assuredly lose a civil suit for being liable for the kid's death. Do you understand the difference?

[/ QUOTE ]

If this guy had killed himself, would you be liable?

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably not. It probably couldn't be shown in a court of law that I knew anything about that person's background and could have been making any comment that would be interpreted as liable for his death and/or bodily injury stemming from an attempt.

This situation is wholly different. You're comparing apples and garbage dumps; not uncommon for 2+2'ers with limited intellect.

[kyleb]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
mbillie1,

Maybe they shouldn't be punished in a criminal sense, but they would almost assuredly lose a civil suit for being liable for the kid's death. Do you understand the difference?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, there is no way they would 'almost assuredly' win. She tried to kill herself before this. It's not clear that this event was the main cause of her suicide even if it was the last straw. They would also have to establish that it was forseeable to offending parents that she would kill herself. The defense lawyer would probably also drag out all the nasty things from her own family's history which could have contributed to her depression and decision to off herself. You can't just assign blame to this other family because they are horrible worthless human beings. Suicides are complicated.

[/ QUOTE ]

By "win" I mean it would be very likely the suit would be settled in favor of the parents of the child.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
Okay, I missed that sentence when I read through.

[ QUOTE ]

There is a HUUUUUUUUGE difference between another kid doing it and an adult doing it. A child doesnt understand actions and consequences like an adult does. Adults are supposed to understand those things. Which is why lots of crimes children arent punished the same as adults.

[/ QUOTE ]

A 5 year old doesn't, but were the kids you knew that stupid at 14? When kids are dicks at that age, they know they are being dicks and they know it is going to hurt somebody's feelings. That is the point.

[/ QUOTE ]

they know its going to hurt someones feelings, but they dont understand the full ramifications of it they way an adult does.

Why do you think adults don't do that [censored] to other people the same way children do? Because we are older and we understand how cruel and mean it is, and how much it truly can hurt someone.

[mbillie1]

[ QUOTE ]
By "win" I mean it would be very likely the suit would be settled in favor of the parents of the child.

[/ QUOTE ]

I obviously agree here... most of the time the parents of the dead girl make out with money if this goes to a civil trial or whatever.

That said, I still disagree that a monetary award by a judge/jury/whatever is fair or just or right or whatever in this case, for the reasons in my above response to you.

[kyleb]

There is a very clear and logical line of arguments that connect event A to event B in this case. Your argument is irrelevant; just because suicides are always complicated doesn't mean that there isn't an at-large reason why someone decided to kill themselves.

You're hanging on to an argument that you know sucks for the sake of arguing over the Internet and saving face. Stop.

[traz]

Alobar,

This is not the same as you killing someone in your front seat. Or the same as a child molester. Or anything else...because phyiscally, these adults didn't do anything. They emotionally scarred this child, but that's it. It's terrible, but it's not murder. WHen you smash your car into a tree, you are physically and directly hurting your passenger. That makes you way more responsible for the deaths.

Their antics happened to cause a suicide, but it couldn't predictably cause a suicide (imo). They had no control over her life or death, her life was NOT in their hands. It was in her hands and hers alone.

Also, of course this would be much different if it was a 14 year old kid instead of adults. I very much believe in the attitude of "kids will be kids" for most situations...but adults should know better. Not only that, it's just psycho...any adult who goes to such lengths to torment a child is mentally unstable.

[kyleb]

I think people are getting lost in the minutia of the case. Here is all you really need to know:

1) Two girls have a falling out. We'll call them Girl A and Girl B. Girl B has a well-known history of depression and suicidal thoughts.
2) Girl A's parents make a fake persona and [censored] with Girl B's mind. When they see that Girl B's mood is lifted as a result of these actions, they do not stop.
3) loltrickedu
4) Girl B kills herself.

There.