Blaming the victims

In (fG) Britain instead of incarcerating juvenile criminals they have a tiered system of punishment aimed at making them change their ways.  The most rigorous of which includes making them write letters of apology.  Seriously?  This is the worst punishment they can come up with, Community Based Surveillance?  Truly, the country is completely lost.

Here is an example of one of those letters:

At least a local councilwoman recognizes that he shouldn't have been a thieving little yob, while the Neighbourhood Watch spokesperson laid the blame on the victim.

Councillor Sharon Hamilton, who represents the ward where the burglary occurred, said: ‘How dare he? He is so cheeky. It’s not for him to be telling people in the area who have worked hard to have what they have to tell them how to look after their homes. He has no right to be breaking into their homes.’

A spokesman for the UK Neighbourhood Watch Trust said the letter was ‘appalling’, but there was a lesson for everyone to learn.

‘Christmas is coming and people like to leave their curtains open so people can see their lights and their tree, but they need to realise thecriminal is looking at their TV, radio, computer and the presents underthe tree.’

The world is backward.  People who defend themselves go to prison and are sued by their attackers, people who get permits, assemble peaceably, and clean up after themselves are hassled and made pariahs, people who follow the law are proned on the sidewalk and abused by the very people who are supposed to prevent such actions.  And criminals are treated as well as or better than their victims by the legal system.  How much longer can this be sustained?