Sentence places little value on a child’s life

IF someone from outside this jurisdiction were to wonder what punishment is appropriate for an adult guilty of brutalising and killing a small child, the anwer is four years in prison.

How does anyone know that a child’s life is so undervalued in the Republic of Ireland when similar crimes in the USA get life sentences without parole?

We have just seen an example of it when the perpetrator of a crime involving beating a child to death was deemed to deserve just four years denial of liberty. Our judges make these decisions and seem to be completely disconnected from the less privileged members of society, as so many of their verdicts are perplexing and seem disproportionate to the seriousness of the crime.