Torture in Edlington

There is a disturbing long list of torture inflicted on 2 cousins from Edlington aged 9 and 10 when lured from the play ground to a waste ground by 2 of their "friends" a pair of brothers who were 10 and 11 at the time. I can't express the horror this evoked in me, despite being on holiday I was deeply troubled as the story unfolded during the court case, when snippets of information came across the globe to my aghast ears.

Some of the abuses inflicted include; severe beating, burning plastic onto their skin and dragging barbed wire across the wounds, smashing a sink over the elder victims head and forcing them to perform sex acts on one another. The elder victim begged to die and when the younger escaped to get help he saved both their lives. But despite this life saving act, the young boy feels immense guilt and distress at leaving his cousin alone with the attackers, the mental trauma caused to these 2 young boys by their peers is irreversible. The full extent of the torture will never be know by any one person, not even the judge, due to the distressing nature of crimes committed. Mr Justice Keith said in court: “This was prolonged, sadistic violence for no reason other than that you got a real kick out of hurting and humiliating them.”

For their crimes the boys, tried as children despite the appalling actions of abuse they may only serve 5 years of the sentence, meaning they will be released in their teens, which is very worrying for other potential victims of their cruelty. Detectives will study evidence of the boys' "toxic home life", which could lead to charges of child abuse and neglect against their Parents. Peter Kelson, who represents the eldest brother, said his client watched ultra-violent films like the "Saw" series, had access to pornographic DVDs, drank cider, had 10 cigarettes a day and smoked cannabis grown on his father's plot from the age of 9. It is also reported that thier mother put cannabis in boys baby bottles when they were toddlers to make then "shut up".