punishment at such a distance from the offence can seem fairly pointless in terms of the individual boy concerned, but it still has value as a deterrent to others and sends a message that the rules of the school are not to be trifled with.
If a boy has got away with an offence for a while and it’s detected after a long interval, sometimes – probably more often than not – he will escape punishment, but it depends on a number of factors, including whether or not failing to punish him will send the wrong message to the boy or others.