Crime and anti-social behaviour: give your views

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Permalink Reply by Bethany Burrow Atherton on February 13, 2013 at 13:49

I've just done this.  Can someone please tell me if I'm reading this wrong, but according to the survey, arson is now "just" anti-social behaviour and doesn't get treated as a crime - have I gone mad, or is that what it says?

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Permalink Reply by John D on February 13, 2013 at 16:32

Arson used to be treated as just below murder in seriousness.

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Permalink Reply by Bethany Burrow Atherton on February 13, 2013 at 16:34

It's still a branch of the criminal damage offence in its own right (bearing in mind it could lead to more serious offences depending on the circumstances).

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 13, 2013 at 19:56

Dangerous driving is just a few points on your license...

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Permalink Reply by Bethany Burrow Atherton on February 13, 2013 at 19:58

And...?

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Permalink Reply by Abi on February 13, 2013 at 20:40

Well yes - surely it is attempted murder in many, if not most cases...?

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Permalink Reply by Bethany Burrow Atherton on February 13, 2013 at 21:06

A bit techie, I know, but attempted murder is very difficult to prove, because the offender has to have intended to cause someone's death (as opposed to murder, where someone has to have died, but the offender "only" has to have intended to cause grievous bodily harm).  True that arson could amount to attempted murder in quite a lot of cases, though.

Having re-read my original post, I don't think I made my point very well.  I was trying to say that while the law sees arson very much as a criminal matter, Haringey Council (or at least their survey, assuming I did read it right) seem to see arson as just anti-social behaviour on a par with loitering on street corners and the like - of course, anti-social behaviour is not to be condoned, but I was astonished that the Council sees arson in that way.

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Permalink Reply by 2o21fske2ygv0 on February 19, 2013 at 19:00

I would make the assumption that they are splitting arson into two categories here. The anti-social variety I would guess as setting fire to bins on parks etc. with no harm done to individuals or private property. And the criminal variety covering everything else.

How accurate that is though is not something I can say. I wonder if me may have a visit from a more enlightened source?

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Permalink Reply by John D on February 15, 2013 at 17:19

Really ??

Indulging in a homosexual act might have got you five years hard. Murder saw you hanged.

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