Courts everywhere seek excuses to ignore newly presented reasons why someone should not be punished. A court in Afghanistan ordered a murderer to be hanged, although the law said he should not be executed since he was a minor when he committed the crime. The court said his birth certificate was presented too late.

In other words, the court found an excuse to disregard an undisputed fact.

I think it is a distraction to focus on details of the criminal, such as age or sanity. The death penalty is wrong in all cases.