Statues

[Khandro]

People who desecrate or vandalise memorials or statues in Britain will face up to ten years in prison under tough new legislation set to be enacted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

The legislation, a part of the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill, will introduce protections for war memorials, statues, and even wreaths or flowers laid at gravestones.

Penalties for such offences were previously capped at a maximum of three months in prison if it was determined that £5,000 in damage was caused. The updated law will increase the penalty to up to ten years in prison and or fines of up to £2,500, The Telegraph reported.

It seems a sad indictment of present day society that it has come to this, but a step in the right direction nevertheless?

[Khandro]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/09/vandals-criminally-damage-memorials-face-10-years-jail/

[lady-janine]

imo not really a good idea. Might be better to sentence them to scrubbing long stretches of pavements clean whilst on their hands and knees.

[emmie]

thanks...

[naomi24]

I like that^ idea.

[emmie]

and cleaning the mess they leave on the statues if they as mentioned, daub them with paint.

[Zacs-Master]

Another AB thread heads off toward the tangential scrublands of fantasy.

[Paigntonian]

Absolutely right. Comparisons with other crimes are irrelevant. If you doubled the sentence for rapists would these penalities be OK?

[zebo]

/Might be better to sentence them to scrubbing long stretches of pavements clean whilst on their hands and knees./

No doubt excuses will be made that this infringes their 'uman rights. One piece of legislation that would be useful is to say that the 'uman rights of victims transcends those of perpetrators.

[lady-janine]

I am being serious - Community Service. Better than them costing us, tax payers, lots of money.

[ToraToraTora]

bang on.

[Zacs-Master]

I can hear the screams of 'ooman rights' from the statue toppler's lawyers when asked to scrub pavements (or anything similar).

[douglas9401]

'Ministers go off the deep end after consulting focus group of retired colonels and other well-balanced individuals'

[lady-janine]

What is not 'uman about being punished for committing a crime?

[jim360]

There's no human rights defence against punishments for breaking the law. I don't see why prison is the appropriate response, especially to such an extent. Wanton vandalism ought to be punished not by prison but by community service (at least as far as possible).

[Bobbisox1]

// imo not really a good idea. Might be better to sentence them to scrubbing long stretches of pavements clean whilst on their hands and knees.//

With a toothbrush of course :0)

[dannyk13]

jim, is it not obvious that this has been done in the hope that it will be a deterrent against vandalism?

[dannyk13]

bobbi,or cutting grass verges with a razor blade.Both these punishments were , at one time, prevalent in the army.

[Bobbisox1]

When they were in the glass house Danny?

[dannyk13]

Bobbi, no, generally while doing basic training.

[jim360]

I'm sure that deterrent is the intent, danny, but has there ever been evidence that harsh punishments deter crime? What's more likely to deter crime is the fear of being caught, rather than being punished harshly. Even that's a stretch, because crimes of this type are manifestly done (at least more often than not) in the heat of the moment. No amount of deterrent can have much effect on "thoughtless" crimes.