Why should goths have to fear to walk the streets just because of small minded peopl who cannot accept that there is more choices in life than the ones they think is best. I am a 22 year old goth and have been attacked twice just for my appearance but that hasnt stopped me being a goth if anything it makes myt resolution to be different stronger just beacause some idiotic cant accept the way we look does not give them the right to persecute us just because we are different and personally the death of Sophie Lancaster has affected me quite strongly as it just shows what people are afraid of is difference but i am not changing the way i am as it is my choice to live my life they way i want not for someone else to decide.

Bryan Whittaker, Manchester, England

well im 17 and part of the goth / mosher scne and i thinlk this is disgustoign the hate i feel towards theas chavs is i cnat explain it iv been bullied for years just for the clothes i wear or the music i listen to and this has just put it in to perspective how bad it is somthign needs to be done and i hope theas chavs live the ret of ther elive sin prison its time like this i still wished they had capitaal punishment or at leats soem kinda way of disaplinign theas people a shoutign at by a man they dotn no or evan there parents does nothing ill eb suprised even if the prsion does anythign to them they need harder punishment it makies me sick how there are soem many of them that just attack for no reason but there different to them

Greg , chichester,

I read about these stories and always have such a strong reaction of revulsion for the murderers. I have no pity whatsoever for the boys involved, irrespective of age, they knew what they were doing. The punishment will be something laughable as usual. We make way too many excuses for these people. "Oh he came from a broken home", "his mums a crackaddict", "his dad beats him" oh, cry me a river please... Plenty of people have hard lives and DON'T end up sadistic killers. I grew up on a council estate, my family were poor, I had all KINDS of issues in school, and I don't go around jumping on people for MY jollies. And where are the parents!? You need a liscence to keep a DOG, and yet it seems anyone can look after a CHILD even when it's painfully obvious they haven't got the first clue, and seemingly have no intention of even trying to become a decent parent. How much cupability should be handed to them too?

Breanainn O'Bearagh, Cornwall, UK

I have to agree with KampungHighlander... I've lived all over the world and the only place I have ever felt seriously unsafe is on the streets of London. There is a terrible sickness in this society, and I know it's not limited to the UK, but I am confronted with it here more than at any time in my life. This entire city/country is TERRIFIED of what are essentially children.
As a kid my grandfather, in trying to explain to me that people didn't become faultless at the onset of adulthood, used to say 'you know that kid you don't like? Well that young idiot will one day be an old idiot', and I think that this is a valuable perspective. The scum committing these crimes are the same thugs that are rotting in prisons all over the world. They know we're scared of them and animals like these react by exploiting that fear and revelling in the power they hold over us, knowing that they act with impunity. They are the same scum no matter how many candles were on their last birthday cake.

Jay, London,

I've been in or around the goth community for a decade or so now and I know that this view is a little unpopular but calls to extend hate crime legislation to cover this kind of attack are reactionary and hypocritical.

The alternative communities wax lyrical about freedoms of expression, choice and individuality and that's precisely what a hate crime strikes at the very heart of. If punishment for a crime is aggravated by what was in the accused's head then what was is the accused's head has become a kind of crime - albeit one which must be bolted on to another crime. The alternative communities just can't have it both ways - you're either for freedom of belief or you're not.

This was a brutal and vicious killing, but I fail to see why it would have been less so had the boys killed anyone else. Their crime is murder, not their belief.

Gabriel Taylor, Colchester,

I am a 19 year old Student at University. I grew up going to a large state school and I am fresh out of witnessing the type of hate between exactly the types of people that I have just read about in this disturbing article.

I am neither a "chav" nor a "goth" . I've never been attacked by a Chav, however I have witness plenty of the like. Chavs are the types of students in your schools who disrupt your children's lessons. They threaten, intimidate and bully your children by definition. Unless your Child is one of them, or a lucky exception to the rule, they were most definitely adversely effected by a chav somewhere along the line. If your child IS one of them, they will be adversely effected by it tenfold: the culture encourages violence, disobedience, crime and is firmly anti-academic success. The older the child gets as a chav the worse its situation, drugs are introduced, and pressure to have sex also. More and more traps are opened.

I hope these teenagers spend life in prison

Francis, Cambridge,

Immediately upon seeing the photo of the girl I had already guessed the reason why the couple were attacked. The reason why I knew is because this sort of crime is endemic and frighteningly ubiquitous, and it has been going on for years. I of course refer to the deliberate targeting of people who choose to adopt a choice of clothes or music which isn’t Hip Hop orientated; the perpetrators are the feral street generation or to use a much hyped and misused media term ‘Chav’ and they are a sad indictment of the current breakdown of authority, firm boundaries and ambiguous or weak laws.

It seems to me that this sort of hate crime (which indeed it is) has been ignored by the media, government and police for years. We, as a civilised society treat hate crimes against ethnics with twice the severity of ‘normal’ crimes (slightly unfairly); I would like to see the same laws applied to crimes such as this as the principle behind the crime is exactly the same as other hate crimes.

Jonathan Lambert, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

Laz, KL, Malasia
I have indeed sat on the bus, when the schools have finished, and have seen children still give up there seats for the elderly and women with children. Granted they can be noisy and their conversations can be questionable, but I do not think for a minute they are all going to turn into demonic beasts. Where is your evidence that the majority of children are aggressive. Unfortunatley when children behave like animals it makes the news, when they do well, it isnt reconised or reported.. The disrespect is also coming from the adults, who have already prejudge them. I agree better disipline is needed and I hope that they lock these up and throw away the key.

karen, york,

THE UK LAW HAS TO MAKE A CHANGE!
Its too easy going. If you look now the charges on offenders are really weak which does not help enforce laws. Children under 17? don't care even murder people and still get away with it. Young or not they are still humans and need discipline! taught! if these teenagers were in another country they wouldn't be standing there attacking people randomly. Thats because they would get their bum kicked and have some repect for themselves not doing stupid things. To be honest even adults who cause offenders nowadays only get fined and let out and lucky have community service. Jail? ha! they living a luxury life in jail getting fed having it easy. Its even more relaxing in jail then living at home not worrying about bills, work, food or anything. Keeping this up offenders let out will strike again because they think they can do anything and only get minor punishment thats not going to harm them in anyway. If i had to say it would be "NO EYE SEE".

waii, Manchester, UK

I blame all the "Human Rights" advocates who say you cannot discipline your children like when our parents did. Of course, there is a difference between disciplining and beating until it causes injury. One is teaching manners, the other is just criminal.

Treat criminal behaviour with punishment appropriate to the crime. Once you cause intentional hurt to other people you waive your human rights - no TV, no books, no internet, no human rights - do the crime, do the time. Get them enlisted if you must - and send them to regions where real bad people prey on everyone. Let them see what it's like to BE afraid.

God gave us brains to determine what is wrong and what is right. That's why we're different from animals.

Wan, Notts, UK

Corporal punishment should be introduced, that should sort out the young generation of today. Parents are also to blame they should take sole responsibility.

Ind, Hornchurch, UK

As usual, the scum cannot be named for 'Legal Reasons' - oh dear, the State is so worried about the little dear's well being. Worse, when eventually sent to Juvenile Hall, they'll be given PS£'s, TVs, and their own room. Personally, i'd put these pond life into general population and let thegenuine hard men kci kthe living hell out of them - for starters.... - on a regular basis. I hope they rot in jail forever. But, knowing our bl;eeding heart legal system, they'l lprobably be out in a few years. Still, maybe that girl had some brothers/hard friends who will also be around...?

Mark YV, Lincoln,

What a wicked place the world has become , im so upset after reading this article , what a terrible thing to happen , my thoughts are with that poor girls family , Lisa, Eltham

lisa davies, eltham, london

It is indeed a minority who are acting as feral youth. The problem is not solved by the namby-pamby sentencing. Deal with the hard core and that may lead to a reduction of generalising all youth as out of control. So much for "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime". What an empty promise that was.

Chris D, Edinburgh, Scotland

I can guarantee that all of you with these ideas about punishment will still vote, Labour Con and Lib . Will any of these bring in capital punishment or a real life sentence or even giving the police back the right to do something. Vote BNP or be quiet if you dont like vote the goverments have done to this country for the last 30 years then change it. We are to p.c.

Stephen, Liverpool,

If teenagers commit adult crimes they should receive adult sentences. There is a terrible rise in stranger on stranger violence in the UK. I have lived in many parts of the world and the only place where I have ever been afraid is in walking at night in the UK.

People whose violent behavior presents a danger to others should be locked up untill they are rendered safe, around 65 sounds about right. Watch, with sentencing guidlines and these little monsters deprived backgrounds they will probably back on the street before their 21st birthday.

KampungHighlander, Jakarta, Indonesia

bring back the death penalty . problem sorted at least the attackers mother will then know what it feels like

Dave, London, England

Name them and shame them! If they are old enough to kick another human being to death, they should face up to their actions.

Nita, Notts, UK

Karen in York:

Unfortunately, I have to disagree, I do not believe that violence among teenagers is that much of a minority anymore. Teens these days are just more aggressive and confrontational.

Just try wandering through your local estate in the evening, or sitting at the back of a bus after school kick out time and see how friendly the youth of today are.

Anyway, I believe that punishments need to be made more severe for youths, and in reality, everyone full stop.

Prison has the capabilty to reform the normal working man with a 9-5 job who may have commited a crime out of stupidity or niavity, but these thugs will probably go into prison and just meet more people like themselves and be pushed into further crime.

Why not intoduce more experimental punishments? Public humilation? Physical punishments? Surely something must work better than prison for these people?!

Laz, KL, Malasia

Yeah, Great Great Britain! Our wonderful kinds in this wonderful land, governed by these wise liberals who know just what ails society and how to fix it.

The poor victims...not the murdered girl and her injured friend, I mean those poor kids who did the crime. Deprived. They need counselling, and their parents need an increase in their benefits. We should hug them, just as Dave Cameron said, and tell them they are the real victims. They shouldn't be punished at all, they just need a little TLC

Fred Manners, London,

After experience student and family life in USA and France, I have witnessed that parents play a vital role in teaching morals to their children and bear responsibility for their behaviour till they are 18.

Since most of the violent crime in the UK involves young teenagers, I would like the police to hold parents responsible for their children's behaviour and pay the damages.

In addition, I also blame the media for spreading violent behaviour in the public by televising teen programs like Skins, which portray violent behaviour and lack of parental control on teenagers. The media should produce programs encouraging social respect and promoting healthy activities.

I have noticed the high number of police beat programs during Prime Time TV, showing the heroics of police officers in cutting crime, however these programs do not guide teenagers to the right path by guiding them towards other productive activities.

Teenagers need the right guidance, unfortunately, they cannot find it.

Tamur, Birmingham, UK

Michael Debham you are completely right. We need heavy
SPEEDY punishment for these types of crimes. Not this "appeal until everyone forgets what the case was about."
As for Christian education give me a break. Christians do not have the edge on knowing right from wrong. This is
simply a case of these people who we say are children who are, in fact, adults. They want adult rights so lets make them adults in law like at age 16 years. They have the rights now
let them have the responsibilities and stop them from hiding behind 'they are just children' when they act like this.

Kate, Victoria BC, Canada

I'll be interested to see what the penalty is for this crime, if the accused are found guilty.
In my opinion the punishments for crimes such as this, which are becoming increasing common, are usually totally inadequate. They no not reflect public abhorence of either the crimes or perpetrators and prove no deterrent.
Punishment for taking a life (especially in such a barbaric way)should be a life sentence ... with 'life' meaning the remaining life-span of the killer.
My deepest sympathy to Robert & the family of Sophie.

Mary, N Ireland,

People will always pick on or in this case kill people simply because they are different. It is not unique to this country or this age. Blaming the government is certainly pointless

raymond, Liverpool, UK

British youth gone wild? Thats a sad generalisation of british children. Its a minority not the majority, for a start. As for christain education, I fail to see what that has to do with it. Religion is the cause of enough trouble and in the end its down to the parents and how you educate your children. You do not need christian education to teach right from wrong, just a desire to see your children grow up to be tolerant, well balanced, happy, law abiding citizens. Unfortunatly we know that is not always the case.

karen, York,

Andrew from Godalming: Interesting to discover that violent crime is absolutely unknown in the rest of the world.

Dectora, London, UK

Lock them away and throw away the key...

Luca, how old are you supposed to be in order to know right from wrong?

Personal repsonsibility and not society is the answer.

Nick, Oxford,

Now the lefties can see when you remove Christian education from schools. They have changed British society for the worse but they will never take responsibility for that. That's how much 'leadership' they are capable of. They are pathetic.

Jane, London, England

To the victims families and friends, I'm sorry! I pray that justice will be served and you all will find peace.

Kyt, Ramsey, USA / Minnesota

Unfortunately this kind of things are very common in these days. When parents will understand that it is time to spend less time at work (a less money on the plastic that makes them work harder / longer in teh first place) and spend more quality time woth their kids? Blaming the new generation is not the solution, blames us all and the society we created.

Luca, London,

Makes you pround to live in such a wonderful country. The Government and people who run this country and make it the place it is are doing a great job. All those people who say society is going down the toilet are silly. Things have never been this good. It's a wonderful life, it's a wonderful land!

Andrew Nyazai, Godalming, UK

British youth has gone wild. No norms, no respect, no boundaries. The only way to teach them is a return to common sense policing with heavy punishment for these beasts. And free hand to the public to intervene with force to stop them without fear of prosecution.

Michael Debham, Bedford,