Child In The Dock

A 12-year-old boy stands trial for murder in a powerful new drama

NEW DRAMA

Responsible Child Monday, BBC2 HD, 9pm

It’s a little-known fact that the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10 years old – one of the lowest ages in the world.

That shocking statistic lies at the heart of BBC2’s drama Responsible Child, based on real events, which tells the story of Ray, a 12-yearold boy on trial for murder.

As the drama begins, Ray (Billy Barratt) and his 23-year-old brother Nathan (James Tarpey) are arrested after bludgeoning their mother’s partner, Scott (Shaun Dingwall), to death.

Scott had a history of violence, but whatever the circumstances that led the boys to kill, the law is clear: Ray must stand trial in an adult court.

‘I presumed that if you were legally a child, then you would be tried as a child,’ says Killing Eve’s Owen McDonnell, who plays Ray’s solicitor, Pete.