Brainwashed girl did not know what she was doing

AMID the understandable but predicable outcry on the fate of Shamima Begum, the point has been made that when she chose to join Islamic State in their caliphate she was a brainwashed 15-year-old and not capable of making lifechanging decisions.

I will speculate that people arguing that a school-aged child is not responsible for such choices are also suggesting 16-year-olds be granted voting rights in elections and referendums on subjects such as our membership of the EU.

Don Trower, Braintree, Essex