'Keep torture brothers locked up for at least ten years'

The attacks that shocked Britain: Full coverage

The brothers were given an indefinite custodial sentence yesterday by a judge who said they must spend five years in detention before they are even considered for release.

Today, the founder of the charity Kidscape, Michelle Elliott, joined other children's groups in voicing concerns over the sentence, saying the young victims deserved the security of knowing their tormentors could not be released for at least a decade.

Dr Elliott was speaking after South Yorkshire Police confirmed they will consider criminal action against the brothers' parents.

The pair were 10 and 11 years old when they subjected their victims, aged nine and 11, to "prolonged, sadistic violence" during the assault in Edlington, South Yorkshire, last April.

Today, Dr Elliott said: "I'm grateful for the indeterminate sentence but I would have urged a 10-year minimum before they are assessed for release.

"I will be appealing to Baroness Scotland (the Attorney General). Several groups are doing that."

Dr Elliott accepted that the brothers would not necessarily be released after five years but believed the possibility of them being let out while still only in their mid-teens was too worrying for their young victims, who are roughly the same age.

"I think, for them and their families, they need to have a clear 10 years," she said.

"They would then all be in their 20s."

Psychologist Dr Elliott thought the prognosis for the recovery of the two victims was good but believed the brothers - who are now 11 and 12 - could pose a risk to society for many years.

She said the pair would be "better off" now they are in an environment away from the "feckless parents" who "dragged them up".

"They've got security now they've never known," Dr Elliott said.

Asked if she thought serious child-on-child violence was rare she said "No".

"I know some people say this is rare. Yes, it's rare to go this far, rare for children to kill or nearly kill each other.

"Unfortunately it's not rare for children to do almost as bad things to other children."

Another prominent campaigner against child abuse, Shy Keenan, said she was also urging the Attorney General to look at the sentence.

The Phoenix Survivors founder told The Sun: "We have appealed (against) the five-year minimum tariff on this sentence to the Attorney General on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.

"We do hope that the authorities involved will now pursue the offenders' parents for their neglect and abuse in this awful case."

After the brothers left court yesterday, police said a prosecution of their parents was being considered.

Asked outside Sheffield Crown Court about such a move, Temporary Superintendent Ian Bint said: "It's something we will be looking at with partners in the light of what has come out in court."

During a three-day sentencing exercise at the court, Mr Justice Keith heard how the brothers lured their victims to a secluded spot and subjected them to 90 minutes of physical and sexual abuse.

The victims, who are uncle and nephew, were strangled, hit with bricks, made to eat nettles, stripped and forced to sexually abuse each other.

The judge heard that the elder attacker watched ultra-violent films as part of a home life of "routine aggression, violence and chaos".

A barrister outlined how the child watched the gruesome Saw movies when he was as young as 10, and was also familiar with the Chucky films as well as pornography DVDs.

He would also drink cider, had 10 cigarettes a day and smoked cannabis grown on his father's allotment from the age of nine, the court was told.

The father of one of the victims said the two attackers should never be released.

"The brothers should never be released. It isn't safe," he told the Daily Mirror. "If they are freed, they will kill somebody. I am certain of that."

He added: "I blame their parents. They should get done for it as well."

The case provoked widespread criticism of agencies involved with the family in Doncaster and a report published yesterday revealed that the attack could have been prevented.

It included 18 recommendations for improving practice, with a catalogue of criticism of authorities' conduct in failing to protect the victims.

Nick Jarman, interim director of Doncaster's social services, apologised but confirmed that only one person had faced disciplinary action so far.