Why should victims be made criminals?
It often angers me to read about a criminal getting away with a meagre fine or a light dose of community service. This is made worse when the victim of a crime is turned in to the criminal.
Take the case of Elspeth Davidson, a community councillor and business owner in Stonehaven, who must have been driven to despair after vandals, smashed 60 panes of glass at her shop during a three week period. I understand the anger and frustration vandalism like this causes as well as the financial cost. Some mornings I close my eyes when approaching the post office steadying myself for the tell-tale sprinkling of glass on the pavement. Elspeth Davidson’s anger and frustration obviously boiled over, so she took matters into her own hands. Whilst I wouldn’t condone her hitting a teenager, I applaud her for at least confronting the parents. If only they had taken some responsibility perhaps their “little angel” may not have been slapped.
Think of the time and money that has been spent in pursuing this case, surely our police should be spending the time on the streets dealing with the thuggish behaviour that blights too many neighbourhoods. Our courts should be concentrating on dealing with real offenders. Or maybe I have got it wrong?