Taking the law in one's own hands

Taking the law in one's own hands

From Neraca

I feel pity for a purse snatcher pictured in a newspaper photograph. He is being beaten by a group of people in front of the Immigration Office in East Jakarta. Who is responsible if the snatcher dies or is disabled for life? After all he is a fellow human. The beating of a criminal by a group of people, if not excessive, apparently has a deterrent effect toward criminal behavior.

Everyone has feelings of fear. Mass beating of a criminal who must sustain repeated blows and must even bear the risk of death is frightening to criminals. It is an effective deterrent to criminal activity. Criminals must think twice before going into action.

Although taking the law into one's own hands is effective, it is against the law, especially since the action is sometimes inhuman. It must be avoided. But sometimes people are highly annoyed by the behavior of criminals, so let it be!

Increased incidents of people taking the law in their own hands is the result of dwindling public trust in law enforcement, the police, the prosecutors and the judges. One of the causes is the very light sentences for offenders, while it would be right to give criminals, especially recidivists, the maximum penalty.

Now the public is apparently tired of needlessly long legal procedures which do not yield any results. Investigation money is asked from people reporting the loss of a motor vehicle. So, misfortune strikes the victim twice.

The law enforcing apparatus should be concerned about why part of their duty is taken over by the community, disappointed in the existing legal procedures.

It all started with the lack of trust in the system. Therefore, the system needs to be mended and laws enforced so that public trust is restored.

PUTRANEGARA

Jakarta