I have long held the view that the doli incapax rule is wrong, in either form.

It should be open to be argued in a child's defence that through no fault of his own he did not appreciate that what he was doing was wrong, but time and time again one sees children very capable of arguing the law relating to minors "You can't touch me, I'll get you locked up" if upbraded for antisocial behaviour, going on in early course to argue that the presumption of innocence in either form applies.

With respect, eanjay, I am not clear that you have got the UK law right.

As for Venables, I am inclined to think that society would have been better off without him.