Is England soft on violence?

Do you think that Britain is more concerned with the civil rights of violent criminals than with the right of ordinary people to live free from danger?

Thank you for the education Solar Gran, but please, allow that I DO understand the implications. And Blue Moon - who's moaning? I'm asking the question. Do I take it that you think England IS soft on violent crime?

the law at the moment is set in favour of the criminal

i feel i should have the right to defend myself, my home and my property.

if i was at my brothers place babysitting and a person broke in beat me and then tried to go upstairs where the kids are i would attack him/her.

in canada i believe i am right in saying you have the right to defend your home and a lot of burglars get shot.

here in this country if you did that you would go to prision yourself for protecting your home and family.

my gran was mugged by a child of 10 well they tried to mug her, she upped with her stick and beat him, he ran away crying and the police paid her a visit, soon realised the child was lying that he had beeen attacked for no reason.

the old boy called buster same situation only her was almost 100 years old and some thugs went for him, he used his stick too.
thins have to change ordinary people have to take control of the streets back, the poice cant do it as they are bound by laws.

I think that, while your position has some merit, you and most people fail to fully grasp the complexity of the issue. There is the risk that a move to diminish the human rights of a criminal may set a precedent, eventually leading to the curtailment of rights for everyone.

Unfortunately, our rights are already being curtailed.

Personally, despite the risk, I support the view that prison is a place of punishment. I'm not a fan of capital punishment, nor of conventional corporal punishment, but extreme crimes should be punished severely.

The innocent should not have to pay, though, for the crimes of others. To a small degree that seems to be the case.

Complex, divisive issue.

Yes. I could cite countless examples within my own family and circle of friends and neighbours of the police not taking any action against dangerous people who had committed violent attacks on various spurious pretexts (including the fact that they were shortly going to close the police station for the night and transfer all business to the station down the road!) Anything for an easy life and to avoid conflict! I think that we are all painfully aware of this fact. Civil servants carefully cushion Home Secretaries from knowing the truth and statistics are engineered to show a good track record for the police. Meanwhile, members of the public become increasingly sceptical.

i think britain is too soft on violence you only have to look at the criminal justice system and human rights bloody human rights what about the rights of the person being robbed or raped or you could go on and on what we need is to get rid of the human get back to old basic british justice where a clip round the ear by mum or dad or even a policeman did no harm to me and mum told me off too you only have to watch mums and their kids in shops the kids run wild mums looking at a dress kids even back chat and dad doesn't take any notice too my children never talked me down parents should take responsability and teach their family respect although to day some older people havent any respect on the train last night coming home a man drank four cans of beer the law states no drinking on the train two people about 20yo had their feet on the seats i had to stand for an hour till they got off

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Yes, and Yes.

It really winds me up when I hear about the poor murderer and the appalling conditions they are living in.

Prison is a punishment, they are been punished for doing wrong. It shouldnt be a ball of laughs.

What they need to do is stop fighting crime all together to understand the feelings of criminals. A few years of that and they'll be begging for the death penalty.

Britain is not soft on violence when compared to many other European Countries.

Although I agree with much of the sentiment here and that violent offenders should face harsher sentences still.

Yes and yes.

The liberal, yoghurt knitting, tree hugging chattering class human rights lawyers have turned the justice system on its head.

Lets see how many thumbs down this reply attracts - quite a number, as they don`t like to be criticised.

Civil rights applies to everyone, not just criminals.

Yes, I do. I say scrap the Human Rights Act for criminals.

i think they do not know what to do.they are caught in a catch 22 no matter what they do.

yes...should be more like the USA.

Yes!!

Absolutely. The uk has a paper tiger gov't and enemic, inneffective police and courts. I have lived in Europe, Australia, the US and Canada, so I can compare the difference. A ten year old can commit violence just like an adult and should receive equally harsh retribution.! (Even if seperated from the adult prisoners.) When I was a kid I fully understood that it was wrong and a very bad thing to cause harm to others.
The uk inevitably condones and encourages people to perpetrate criminal and violent acts
because those who do this are well aware that they usually will receive only a slap on the wrist,etc.! They also understand that they will only serve a third of their sentences, so that's no big deal or deterrent for a demented knife or gun wielding lunatic who would thrust a sharp knife into some elses flesh or shoot an innocent bystander.! on a slight whim. (Possessing a weapon gives them a feeling of superiority and invincibilty especially when their victims are greatly outnumbered)
Most of these criminals are losers, they hate their own lives, are too lazy to work for a living and they see no future, so they become lamebrain followers of the gutter rap type mentality, Such as for example: 50 cents film: " Get rich or die trying." and " A clockwork Orange." etc. Most of the derogative syndromes in today's youth emulate from the movies and media.! What uk teenagers,etc. don't realise is they are not part of the American black ghettos and did not grow up dodging drug dealers and drive by shootings,etc. This is a uniquely an American inner city problem and should not be imitated elsewhere.! Things will change overnight here if one of several occurences happen:

If a vip gets attacked. If some tough uk folk, prehaps military trained organize a vigilante force, or if the uk street cops decide they have had enough and decide to make life very uncomfortable for the cowardly punks and thugs amongst us.! which they have the powers and resources to instigate. Violent criminals should have no civil rights.! They should be incarcerated in remote prisons without hot water, tv, computers or any resort style amenities. ( Watch them whine then.!)
They should be punished harshly and treated as mean as their victims and related families whose lives they have caused great misery and suffering.! If enough people marched in protest and bombarded their mp's with letters of discontent, things would have to change. Also if we elect first and foremost those who run for office who are tough on crime, especially violent crime.! Only then can we hope for change in this pathetic little island nation which was once an envied and admired great empire that has been transformed into a third world type oasis for undesirables and bad guys to exploit the unarmed and defenseless inhabitants who dwell herein.!

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