ADVICE FOR VICTIMS
OF CRIME
I am sure that Dr Rudolph Zinn of
Unisa’s department of criminal and forensic
investigations means well, but I can’t shake
the feeling that he is advising me on how to make
the criminal’s task easier.
Zinn advises crime victims to beg
for their lives and tell robbers to take everything,
in which case their lives might be spared.
We are also not encouraged to look too closely at
the criminals, or – god forbid – make
eye contact. |
|
Criminals apparently don’t like making
eye contact with their victims and it was seen as a good
sign if victims begged for their lives and followed orders.
This advice was based on interviews with
30 convicted house robbers in Gauteng prisons.
According to the criminals who participated
in the study, victims' lives would be spared if they remained
calm, didn't fight back, kept their hands visible, maintained
their original position and only spoke when asked a question.
If I am only supposed to speak when asked
a question, will the criminal actually ask me ‘Would
you now like to beg for your life?’
The scary part is that the youngest hijacker
Zinn spoke to was 9 years old, and the youngest hijacker
who had shot and killed his victim, was 13.
Just as scary is the fact that the study
showed that 17% of security guards and 17% of police officers
were involved in house robberies.
I’m with Bheki Cele on this one.
Quote ‘You can't be nice to criminals; you can't
be running around kissing crime, because you are dealing
with tough guys.’ Unquote.
Shoot to kill, incarcerate all survivors
in dank dungeons and throw away the key.
Kader Khan
Editor
info@yummie.co.za