CRIME INCREASE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1932, Page 6

CRIME INCREASE

MR, JUSTICE McCAItDIE’S. VIEWS'. THE REAL CAUSES OUTLINED. I LONDON, December 23. “Poverty, drink, and gambling are only minor causes of serious crime in this country. The real causes are still to be found in the old and fundamental forces. Nature—greed, anger, jealousy, vanity, lust, and, perhaps, negligence—great negligence by drivers of motor vehicles.” This dictum was uttered by Mr Justice MeC'ardie, when charging the grand jury at Glamorgan Assizes "in Swansea. ■ -

“Tills is a strange country of ours,” said Mr Justice McCardie, “for while we are steadily closing our prisons the actual amount of serious crime, .is steadily increasing. First, I believe that very serious injury is being done by the notion, that .some people attempt- to spread, that- crime is some form of disease. It is not.

“Second, I am satisfied that emotional tendencies wliich are being shown in .some quarters to-day are doing serious injury. The sufferings of victims are entirely overlooked in misplaced sympathy for the criminal. Third, 1 should like to say this: That we are drifting to an abuse ,of the probation system. Once a criminal gets it into liis mind that, for the first one or two offences, lie will only be bound over as a matter of course, tlieu Abe. force of the criminal law has largely gone. ‘T should like,” bis Lordship proceeded, “to speak in clear terms what I deem to be not the mere single but the niaitii object of punishment, which

(1) To deter the.criminal liu.bself. (2) To deter others as well, who mav be tempted. (3) To reform the criminal if it is possible.

(■!) To satisfy the public demand for the vindication of the law bv the -infliction of appropriate ,penalties. “Finally—and this T feel is the object too (jften overlooked—to protect the public for an adequate period of time from further offences by those convicted, of theft, robbery, and other types of crime. “I have dealt with this matter because I feel that the time is coming when this country must face this grave increase of crime, and ask itself what are the remedies we can apply to prevent a further increase and enlargement.” f"'