Crimes are never a good thing, and harboring them can wreck a nation; that's why rules and regulations are set up to curb people's engagement in criminal activities. We all know crime can be performed by anyone regardless of their age, but then despite the fact that everyone commits crime, juveniles and adults still are not tried the same way. Is it fair? In my opinion, yes, it's fair, because unlike adults who are grown and fully self-aware, juveniles are still growing and still have a lot to learn and develop. But then is it okay for kids' crimes to be expunged at a certain age so they won't be stigmatized for something they did when they were less aware of the consequences of their actions?
Like I stated above, crime isn't a good thing, and everyone should abstain from it, but I don't think everyone should be judged the same way. Kids sometimes develop character based on what they see adults do or how they're raised, and these can be dangerous because they'll do it not knowing the full gravity of their actions, but when an adult does the same, they fully know what they're doing, and that's why it's ideal to treat juveniles separately. On the discussion about if it's okay for kids' crimes to be erased at a certain point, I actually do agree with this partially, but on a few conditions, and I'd highlight them below.
If juvenile crimes were to be expunged at all, then it should be for mainly minor offenses, such as theft, burglary, and the like. I know the trauma of their actions might still leave a rent-free imprint on the minds of their victims, but then these are offenses they commit without fully understanding the ways of humans, so I guess they should be pardoned and allowed to have clean records on the condition that they show remorse and turn over a new leaf in a way whereby they become a better person after that crime and never get involved in another. If they come clean after that, they should be allowed to put the past behind them and not grow up with the stigma of the crimes they committed when they were young.
However, if the crimes committed are not minor, take for instance murder and the like, then such a juvenile should still be allowed to carry the weight of their offense, especially when they don't show remorse for their actions or even go on to commit more crimes after the initial ones. The purpose of prison and juvenile detention is to create a better person; it's meant to reengineer their mind and thinking, to make them a better person and human that'll make the society safe, not become a menace to the society. So in light of terrible offenders, then they should still be recognized for their crime.
In a nutshell, I don't think all minors should be treated like adults, especially when the offenses they committed are minor and when they should show remorse and turn over a new leaf. But those who show no remorse but seem to glorify their crime should be treated like adults when they arrive at that age and still carry their records for everyone around them to know what they've done in the past and what they're capable of doing.
All photos are mine.