At the risk of sounding like a namby-pamby liberal twat, I'd like to make a comment on "what should be done" with those who caused this terrible pain. The urge to "string 'em up by the balls" is understandable. I think, though, that this may be a good opportunity to practice what's been called Restorative Justice (as opposed to the traditional Retributive Justice). Here's a simple definition, taken from the Restorative Justice website of Prison Fellowship International: "Restorative justice can be defined as a response to crime that focuses on restoring the losses suffered by victims, holding offenders accountable for the harm they have caused, and building peace within communities."

Some of the suggestions mentioned above (such as having the offenders participate in cleaning up the property) fit with this principle. Certainly, not all crimes are amenable to this type of community response, but this one seems like it would be. The basic principles of a restorative justice program, again from the PFI website, are:

1.Encounter: Create opportunities for victims, offenders and community members who want to do so to meet to discuss the crime and its aftermath
2.Amends: Expect offenders to take steps to repair the harm they have caused
3.Reintegration: Seek to restore victims and offenders as whole, contributing members of society
4.Inclusion: Provide opportunities for parties with a stake in a specific crime to participate in its resolution

If, as is likely, the perpetrators are young, it might just help provide an opportunity for the to become "whole, contributing members of society" instead of going to jail and learning to be angry, nonproductive, habitual criminals. It sounds like Julie's neighborhood may be the kind of place where this approach could work. My understanding is that in settings where this kind of program is in place (including cultures like the Maori in New Zealand, where it is the traditional method of justice), both victims and offenders have felt satisfaction with the results. Just a thought, at this season of peace.

Aloha,
Mark