Yep, you read the headline correctly. Pakistani police have actually charged a toddler with attempted murder, according to The Independent. Luckily, the judge agrees with what most of you are probably thinking—this is ridiculous.
Toddler’s family accused of stoning police
Nine-month-old Muhammad Mosa Khan was arrested in February and then booked along with 30 others, including several family members. Police claim that the people threw stones at them and officials from the energy company when they attempted to shut off the electricity to households which had allegedly not paid their bills.
Sub-Inspector Kashif Ahmed is reportedly the one who decided that the toddler should be arrested, saying that he had thrown stones too. In case you’re wondering, police went through the whole process of booking him too, even fingerprinting him while he sat on his grandfather’s lap drinking his bottle.
His family members have emphasized how ridiculous the charges against the youngster are. They say he can’t even hold his bottle correctly, so how could he possibly even throw stones at police.
Judge grants bail, officials suspended
The judge in the case granted the child bail, along with all the others who were charged in the case. However, he is expected to be back in court at his next hearing, which is scheduled for April 12. The judge apparently doesn’t have the power to just dismiss the case against the toddler, even though Pakistan’s penal code states that children under the age of seven can’t be convicted of a crime. The law also states that the age of criminal responsibility is 12 years old.
Officials have suspended Ahmed for arresting the child, and Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shabaz Sharif reportedly said that they will be taken action against the police officers who registered the charges against the child. Police have reportedly claimed that they didn’t know a child was involved in the case. (You would think going through the process of fingerprinting and booking a toddler would be obvious, but who knows?)
