Teen murderer Le Van Luyen and similar cases are the evidences for law-making agencies to amend the law, says Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao, director of the Legislative Institute of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Nguyen Van Duong, 17, in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, was sentenced  to only 17 years in jail though he committed three crimes: murdering, robbery and rape.

On the rise of teen murder cases, many people have proposed to impose death or at least life sentence on teen murderers who commit savage acts like Le Van Luyen. However, the law must be amended firstly.

After teen murderer Le Van Luyen was sentenced 18 years for slaughtering three people, including a baby, at the trial and appeal courts, Dr. Thao said that under the current law, if this teen murderer commits more crime, judges cannot impose the death penalty on him.

“Though Le Van Luyen and similar cases are the fact for law makers to amend the law, it is very difficult to change the law towards imposing death sentences on murders of less than 18, because the international trend is abolishing the death sentence,” says Mr. Thao.

It is said that today’s teens develop very early and their thought is mature. Some teen criminals may know that despite any crime that they commit, they will be sentenced up to 18 years in jail, so they do not fear killing.

Dr. Thao says that as teen crime is on the rise, people may worry that if the law is not tough enough, teen crime will keep increasing.

"To prevent teen crime, it is necessary to reduce the age of juveniles in not only criminal but also civilian law. Many people of less than 18 are mature enough to take responsibility for their acts,” Dr. Thao adds.

A procurator from the HCM City People’s Procuracy says that teen crime is alarming now. In the current situation, when teen’s psychophysiology develops early, Internet is everywhere and young crime is at alarming rate; the current law is inappropriate.

He also proposes to impose the highest penalty on teen mass murderers.

Teen killer Le Van Luyen