THE recent series on the roots of crime by Kathryn Holmquist was comprehensive, well researched and thought provoking. None the less the prevailing mood throughout the series was sombre and bleak. The recent spate of brutal murders simply added to the deepening sense of gloom.
Any reflective person would have to be deeply disturbed by the changes in crime pattern In society. We are witnessing an extraordinary increase in the viciousness of attacks and a simultaneous increase in the level of palpable fear in our communities. It is almost akin to the power of the bully inflating as the spirit of his prey weakens before him.
The current crime crisis is multi factorial in origin. The analysis of this problem cannot be distilled into a "nature versus nurture" argument. Every criminal has developed through a complex relationship between his genetic programming and social experience.
Perhaps some day a genetic marker may be found which would predispose towards criminal behaviour. The logical development of such analysis would be to propose a eugenic solution to the problem of crime.
Given the present level of crime hysteria, this might have some limited appeal in our community. The fact that the children of criminals are more likely to become criminals themselves does not support the argument that criminals are born not made it simply reflects that all adults are the product of their experiences. One repeatedly observes that many young people follow the same career path as their parents. A career in medicine is a very good example of this phenomenon. A very high proportion of doctors' children become doctors themselves. So it is with criminals.
The "hang'em and flog'em brigade are currently in the ascendancy in the public debate on crime. Inflicting pain on vicious thugs has a very seductive, visceral appeal. All of us could be so tempted if our loved ones were subjected to gratuitous violence. However, avoidance of such unthinking retribution helps to maintain the veneer of civilisation that envelops all of us. I believe that the absence of corporal and capital punishment in our penal system is a measure of our humanity.
As previously stated, crime is multi factorial in origin. Therefore the solution has to be multifaceted in its approach. As an immediate short term step, we do need more prison accommodation and the elimination of the revolving door in our prisons. If a criminal has been sentenced for a particular crime he should serve his sentence in full, subject to the usual provisions regarding parole and good behaviour. He should not he released early just because of limited accommodation.
Every sensible parent knows that there is little utility in invoking sanctions on an errant child if you are not prepared to follow through. This simply generates disrespect for the sanction. Criminals musty understand with absolute clarity that if they commit certain crimes and are convicted, they will serve their sentence in full.
Gardai must be given the material resources they need to tackle crime. I am less supportive of calls for changes in the rights of the accused. Such fundamental changes could disguise inadequate police work. Convictions should be secured on the basis of solid professional work. A strong index of suspicion in the case of a silent accused is not good enough. The words of King Charles I of England have some relevance in this debate "Where evidence is hard to come by, an accusation may suffice". These words were uttered shortly before he was executed.
FROM my vantage point as a general practitioner, I firmly believe that prevention has to be the cornerstone of society's comprehensive response to crime. Prevention does not have immediate appeal and is unlikely to attract standing ovations for the politician advocating it from his soapbox. The benefits of a successful preventive approach do not appear quickly. The end point is not particularly striking and is not likely to have great media appeal.
Those of us involved in preventive medicine are very aware that preventive strategies rarely attract great kudos. Prevention of Polio myelitis in our country does not produce annual banner headlines "Polio Disappearing 20,000 More Saved". In our increasingly media driven society, prevention has all the televisual appeal of watching paint drying on a wall. The blood and guts of er on our television screens is far more impressive than watching a child swallowing polio vaccine on a sugar lump. Prevention is just not sexy enough. The politicians won't promote it, the media won't portray it and the public won't buy it. Flog`em and hang`em has a more immediate appeal.
Every day in my surgery I see bright eyed young children full of potential. As I grow older along with my practice population, I see the gloss disappearing from some of those eyes. Some have become hardened criminals. This is an enormous human tragedy for all of society. The future is bleak if we continue to re employ the failed strategies of yesterday.