PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO CRIME

Chronicle (Levin), 19 June 1946, Page 7

PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO CRIME

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MUCH THAT IS FANCIFUL AND MISCHIEVOUS

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j VY ELL1NGTON, Juno 18. ! ' ' Tliere is a good deal tliat is funci- ! ful and niischiovous now put forward j in oxtonuation of wrongdoing. This is j not in tlio best interests of tho com- | munity, " said tho Controller-General of j Prisou's, Mr. B. L. DaJlard, in an adj dross to tho Wellington Eotary CJub j today. Mr. Dallard said a more realistic 1 approach was wantod. Tho present j day tcndcncy was to make light of | wrongdoing. 'Tliis was in aeeord 'with ! tho present milk and waterv attitude j to most moral questions. Thoro were j many people today who would go so i'ar i ns to sav there should be no punishmem \ at al( and postulate a theory that all j oJl'omlers against tho law were sick I persons wlio needed treatment rathor ; tlian puuishment. ! " Bosides .boing musliy and untrue, •this is a mischievous philosophy," | said Mr. Dallard. " Authoritative opiniou iu England and Amorica sugI gosts that loss tlian 20 por cent. of | oH'cnders ugainst tho law are not norj mai. Many within tliis group have a oloar idea of right and wroug and are i proporly culpable at law. There is j nothiiig to suggest that in New Zealand the inoidenco of abxiormality is highor. ' ' For crimes due to faults of c-haracter and not to the ell'oots of a discasc of the mind, the lawbreaker was responsible, said Mr. Dallard. It ivas socially dangerous to give too ready an ear to I specious cxcuses. It was also uiulosirialilo to gloss ovor or make light of ' oriminal aots. A wholosome public attij tudc towards crimc was essential if duo i rospoct for the luaintonance of the law was to bo maintainod. It must not be overlooked. that the priniary function of the oriminal law was the prote.ction of society. The law had to be rcasonablo and just and it thus bchoved Govorumonts always to exerciso the greatost oaro in tho formulation of tho law and for ovory loyal citizon to maintain proper rogard for it.