When the kids stamped on the ducklings and cygnets in Sandall Park, the Police and soc services were involved, they knew after that it was wrong.
When they set fire to a girl later that year, same again.
When they tried to burn the cafe down, same again.
I could list a good few other incidents known about locally, from about three years ago up to Edlington. What they weren't shown either by parents or the so called professionals was that those actions were unacceptable, and arguably the incidents which led to their removal to Edlington should have had them in a secure unit with 24hr supervision. Sending them to a 60yr old foster carer with limited mobility, unbriefed about their previous vindictive violence and not a team of specialists wasn't helping them. I hope they can be rehabilitated, and think it should be possible. They have never had a prolonged spell in a nurturing environment with appropriate boundaries, sanctions and rewards, so there's a lot of unlearning to do. However, I can't see how a minimum of five years sounds right for what they have done, I'd have thought twenty would be a good starting point. Wouldn't have a problem with them staying in a prison or institution for life as a punishment, whether or not rehab takes place though, and that would go for any other attempted or actual murder.