Forgiveness

[SteveE]

No: HPFGUIDX 188756


 "justcarol67" <wwrote:
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> Steve wrote: 
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> Actually, Riddle wasn't even a borderline case.  Until the age of 18, he couldn't even be diagnosed accurately as having a sociopathic or psychopathic condition...the DSM-IV doesn't become valid til age 18 and until there is a pervasive pattern of that serious behavior. 
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> >
> Carol responds:
> DSMV guidelines aside, he killed four people (Myrtle and the three Riddles) before he was seventeen, made at least one Horcrux by that time, and planned to make five more. The wish to make yourself immortal by killing other people and trapping bits of your soul in an object is not normal by any standard, regardless of whether he was sixteen or sixty.
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> Carol, who doesn't care whether we label Riddle as a psychopath, a sociopath, or neither as long as we agree that he was devious and dangerous at an early age

Steve again:  Oh, I completely agree that LV was devious and dangerous at an early age.  I was simply applying real diagnostic criteria for LV and using DSMV-IV guidelines to do so as opposed to other posters diagnostic criteria.  A true psychopath would have a tough time controlling the violence, would more often show suicidal tendencies and would often have a history of juvinile delinquency.  A true sociopath would fly under the radar more socially and would be able to avoid detection longer.  And, of course, with dark magic as a part of the equation, it really complicates doing a psychiatric evaluation using real life criteria. I imagine St. Mungo's used their own criteria for their various forms treatment, as partially evidenced by Lockhart's situation. 

However you reminded me of something I was wondering.  If LV was caught at his murders before he reached 18, in Muggle society he may certainly have been tried as an adult.  In the WW, would he have been sent to Azkaban at that early an age if his actions had been discovered (and proven)?  Keeping in mind wizards reach adulthood at 17, how much of what LV did was done before he reached wizard adulthood? Is there a juvinile system of punishment in the WW? For something as atrocious as what LV was doing, I'd imagine he'd also be punished quite severely. 
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