Boy, 7, suspected in (7 month old) tot's beating death

[rainbow4321]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BABY_KILLED?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy beat his baby half-sister to death with his fists, feet and a two-by-four because he was jealous of the attention the girl was receiving and because she would not stop crying, police said Wednesday.

The attack occurred May 22 in Tampa, where the boy had been visiting his father. Seven-month-old Jayza Laney Simms was dead on arrival at the hospital where her parents rushed her. The boy confessed to killing his sister a week later when detectives confronted him with the evidence, McElroy said.


The unidentified boy was not taken into custody and is living with his mother while prosecutors make their decision on whether to charge him.

Hillsborough County State Attorney's spokeswoman Pam Bondi said prosecutors were just beginning to review the case and the complex legal issues involved with bringing charges against such a young child. Among the elements prosecutors will have to consider is whether a child so young is competent to stand trial for a crime, Bondi said. "There are a lot of issues," Bondi said. "This is the first time we have dealt with a 7-year-old accused of such a violent crime."

[Missy M]

1. What a sad story...

I am shocked that a seven year old boy would be so angry and violent. Jealousy with a sibling used to be about whinig and telling mom or dad you love him or her more than me etc. Times sure have changed.

[Eloriel]

2. WHAT DOES IT TAKE? THis child needs THERAPY not charges

I'm so sick of the criminalization of psychological problems (illness) in children. HOW YOUNG DO THE CHILDREN HAVE TO BE BEFORE WE GET IT? THis child isn't a criminal, he's sick -- profoundly sick.

[Warpy]

7. Not only that, where the HELL were the parents????

No 7 year old should be unsupervised around a new baby for the length of time it would have taken to beat her to death. Jealousy issues are always there.

Yeah, this kid is going to need longterm therapy. Get those dimwit parents into some parenting classes, too.

[LisaL]

9. How many 7 year old kill their siblings?

It's not something one would expect from a 7 year old. Well, before reading this story, anyway.
:eyes:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. A, Yes, that child needs therapy instead of prison, AND...

B. Did the parents leave the boy alone with the baby? Otherwise, wouldn't they have intervened when the baby started crying? Did the parents go off and leave the two chlidren alone? Or were they passed out or otherwise unable to respond when the baby started crying?

There's more to this story than is being told in the article.

[LisaL]

5. He is 7 year old, for crying out loud. Would you expect a 7

year old to kill anyone? Parents obviously didn't think he would kill a baby.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. No, but even if he was known to be a gentle child, it's

irresponsible to leave a seven-year-old alone, period, much less with a baby.

And the fact that he was able to beat the baby with his hands, feet, and a 2 by 4 suggests that this wasn't just a single impulsive blow.

An adult should have been there to intervene.

[Lerkfish]

11. I agree, there's more going on here...

I'm also wondering if the father killed the baby and made the kid confess..

either way, a 7 year old is old enough to know right from wrong...which means I would suspect him to be a victim of severe abuse.

Something is amiss in a serious way here that we don't know about yet.

[driver8]

4. Jeesus effin' Kee-rist

This story makes me so, so sad. That poor little seven month old girl. Such innocence...

WTF is going on with these children?? They place no value on a life at all. Is it the video games? TV? Drugs? Parents?

There sure are a lot of angry kids wandering around these days.

[LisaL]

6. It's like those murdering kids get younger and younger.

:wtf:

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Yes there are a lot of angry kids

these days. Ask any teacher. I'm sure this kid's teacher has a lot of stories to tell about him.

[obxhead]

13. maybe it's the example of our "leaders"

do what ya want - you won't have to answer to anyone except maybe god right?

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Do you suppose they will

handcuff him when they arrest him?

[Julius Civitatus]

12. Ok, there's definitely something in the water in Florida.

What a sad and horrible story.

:shrug:

[MountainLaurel]

14. Anyone with knowledge about development psych?

Do 7-year-olds really understand what death means, and that there's a difference between someone choking someone on TV and them choking someone?

I ask as someone whose 7-yo brother was planning on robbing a bank, with a real gun (took it out of the closet where my father kept it).

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Children vary in their ability to distinguish fantasy and reality

During the 1950s when the Superman TV series was on the air, children of 7 or 8 were injured or killed falling from high places because they tried to fly like Superman.

[havocmom]

17. A lot of variance in their abilities depends on whether anyone is actually

raising them or not. Kids are extremely intelligent. The failure is not to recognize that and realize all the opportunities to teach. The failure is that in our society, only lip service is given to the importance of caring for children. In reality, too many kids are just warehoused. They can't learn like that.