Should 7-year-olds be prosecutable for rape?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

https://news.yahoo.com/7-old-charged-rape-small-153814768.html

It was third-degree rape, apparently. Little is known or probably will be known because of the age of the defendant. I feel like important details are missing here but the idea that this kid knew what in the hell he was doing is absurd.

The article also notes a 6-year-old in North Carolina was arrested for picking a tulip while waiting for a school bus. wtf

[Ferguson97]

Seven? Not a chance he knew what he was doing, this was a learned behavior. Put the boy into counseling and investigate his family. There’s a chance he’s just mimicking what somebody is doing to him.

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

A seven year old shouldn’t be prosecutable for anything period.

[HisGrace]

I'd have to hear a lot more details here but given the current climate I would not entirely rule out that it was benign childhood sexual exploration (playing doctor and so forth) that's been blown way out of proportion by adults.

If it actually is something serious then there's like a 99% chance he did it because an adult showed him how and that's the person who should be getting prosecuted.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

COCSA (child-on-child sexual abuse) is invariably exactly the kind of "two victims" situation mainstream pro-lifers perceive abortion as. Neither/none of the children involved should be prosecuted for it, but the authorities should take a very long and careful look at their parents and other trusted adults in their lives.

[afleitch]

I'm quite suprised that the age of criminal responsibility is so low in NY. Also what he's been charged with, having a quick glance at the law, seems to apply as much to the 'perpetrator' as it does the victim.

[Cassius]

Depending on what the child actually did it’s also perfectly possible that he’s mimicking something that he’d seen online, as opposed to something he’d seen family members doing.