Defending a Child charged with Murder & Anonymity

Defending any child who finds themselves faced with a Murder charge is a specialist area, which requires the instruction of an experienced defence team from the outset. The approach to defending any child charged with murder or a serious grave crime should be individualistic and focused on the child. It is imperative to identify the key factors at the outset, namely intellectual and educational functioning, mental health and vulnerability of the child, as well as any underlying factors contributing to their involvement.

Narita Bahra KC of 33 Chancery Lane, leading Chudhi Grant secured pleas to Manslaughter for a teenager aged 15 charged with Murder. A sentence of 24 months incarceration was secured.

Given the number of children being charged with serious crime offences is increasing, so too is the public view that children who are convicted of grave crimes should be named in the media. For children and their families, the lifting of anonymity can have devastating effects and negative lifelong impact, which impacts rehabilitation, over and above any custodial sentence imposed. Therefore, It is imperative when defending that anonymity applications
are addressed fully by the defence team. In this case anonymity of the child was successfully upheld.

Narita Bahra KC & Chudhi Grant were instructed by Iqbal Kang and Karen Gudger at Vienna Kang Solicitors.

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