Causes Of Increase In World Crime

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30998, 2 March 1966, Page 22

Causes Of Increase In World Crime

The main factors in the world's rapidly-rising crime rate were almost certainly the decline in the importance of family life, and the decline in religious belief, said Lord Shawcross, a British legal and political figure, in Christchurch.

The decline in family life had been greatly accelerated since the war by the vast increase in the number of working mothers. The two factors together—the lessening in family life and religion—had resulted in a general decline in standards of behaviour and responsibility.

The crime rate in Britain, as in other countries, had risen steeply. There had also been an increase in the number of murders, but this was not necessarily because of the abolition of capital punishment, which he favoured. The abolition was experimental for five years. If there was a major increase in murder during this period he thought it likely that the reintroduction of capital punishment would be seriously considered.

Currently, premeditated murder could result in a sentence of life imprisonment, which was now much more

than the technical “life imprisonment” of about 15 years formerly imposedHe would like to see the introduction of legislation to allow judges discretion to impose different sentences for murder where there were, for instance, extenuating circumstances. But this could not be done until public opinion was favourable. He did not favour the introduction into the British judicial system of the “crime of passion” division of murder, where a murder inspired by sudden passion or fury might result in a more lenient sentence than a premeditated crime.

Such a distinction might encourage persons to exercise less control over themselves: it might encourage crimes of passion. In any event, Lord Shawcross said, persons who committed carefully premeditated murders were rarely caught. In Britain there was now very skilfully-organised crime, not stopping at violence, and long sentences were an essential deterrent.

Speaking of the Great Train Robbery he said general legal opinion had supported the long sentences. It was to some extent true that the law protected things rather than people, but if a sentence of, for instance, 10 years had been imposed on the train robbers, it would not have been a deterrent to others.

After 10 years they might have gone to South America and lived for the rest of their lives in a manner far superior to that of an honest citizen. “I'd spend 10 years in prison myself for half a million pounds, tax-free,” Lord Shawcross said.