"been given a life sentence for the murder"

"handed an 11 year sentence"

How does an 11 year sentence equal a life sentence??

What is going on in the world? It breaks your heart kids killing kids. Look at that poor lad in SE London who was just killed. By all accounts a good lad who didn't want to fight. Then here in Colchester there are two kids accused of murdering a woman by beating her to death and throwing her in the river. The kids (13 and 16 at the time) have apparently been using the excuse they were high on drink and drugs at the time. OH THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN!!!! Call me old fashioned but when my kids were 13 (and even 16) I didn't allow them out late at night, and certainly would have noticed if they came home as high as kites. Am I alone? Am I too hard? I don't think so. So where are the parents of these youngesters? They'll no doubt blame the system when they MUST take a great deal of the responsibility.