Heneghan Some Children just Born Evil

Heneghan, when Robert Heneghan was 10, he became infamous for being the youngest person to receive an ASBO in Britain.  The media branded him The Imp of Satan.  His reign of terror left his neighborhood feeling as if they were living in hell.  His long list of misdemeanors included stripping a 9 year old and making him run home naked,  threatening two women with a ball bearing gun, burgled houses, threatening children with knives, throwing missiles at people and cars and setting off fire alarms.

Nine years later the media report on Some Children are just Born Evil Robert Heneghan again, only this time it is as a 19 year old murderer.  He is being convicted of stabbing his friend to death.  While of course I am in no way condoning murder, but with the title – Imp of Satan, did Robert Heneghan stand a chance of growing into anything less then the Devil himself?  Was Robert Heneghan just born evil?  When he was 10 and younger, where were his parents?  What was he doing wandering the streets by himself making people’s lives a misery?  Why was he allowed out to carry out his campaign?  Did he grow up in isolation?  When does a child stop being a child and become criminally responsible?

When the media wrote about Heneghan ‘The Imp Of Satan’, there was no mention of his parents, there is just the ‘it isn’t our fault’ caveat of ‘family, school, social workers, probation officers, lawyers all tried to help him but failed.’

Yes they did and after that they failed him again and again and again. 

He was obviously a tragedy waiting to happen and nobody was there to avert his inevitable fall.  He was once just a boy in desperate need of psychological help.  A friend of mine fosters the Robert Heneghan’s of tomorrow.  The majority of the children who come through her door have experienced horrific and unthinkable abuse, neglect and deprivation.  While they are in her care, despite displaying classic disturbed signs from being abused and neglected, not one of them are given or offered therapy.  It seems they are just expected to get on with it, while my friend supplies the ‘we are taking action’ plaster.

Are Social Services and society  just waiting for the Heneghan type children to grow up into criminals and then we can all say they were bad along?  It makes life easier that way, doesn’t it?  No, it has nothing to do with their backgrounds or their parents – some Heneghan children are just born evil.

“If you feel strongly about the Heneghan type of child leave a comment below and I’ll forward these to the minister responsible”