THE laws have been made to be dispassionate, cold, and condign as it is applied to those who have offended its dictums, and therefore have to be sanctioned. But, there is another side to its blind application, where it is known to tender justice with mercy. But for the latter to occur, and for the convicted offender to be given such a consideration, remorse has to be genuine.

As far as dispensing justice is understood, the court is said to consider such a personal acceptance of wrongdoing, and a genuine realisation of what the latter would have caused the victim(s). It is then up to the judge, particularly to decide severity of penalty.
From observation, it is a given that certain types of felonies are going to attract substantial, if not, maximum sanction, once a guilty verdict is returned. Heading the list would be murder and rape; attempted murder, and of course violent robberies. There will be very few mitigating factors that will not prevent the full wrath of the court, and this is, even if remorse is shown. Its consideration, yes; but marginal. Justice will be served.
Sexual violence falls within the category of one of society’s big social problems that is reacted to with scorn because of its beastly manner of using violence to overpower its victim for sexual gratification. In many instances, victims are often murdered by their assailants to prevent identification.

The most recent case of a sexual deviant being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, and given two consecutive life sentences, once again reflects the court’s readiness to administer its judicial displeasure in a wholly unequivocal manner on those found guilty of such a dastardly act. It is another example of severe judicial repudiation of a type of crime that has become a national scourge.

There is another similar guilty conviction that has been recorded, and for which sentence is due shortly. But there is an aspect of this recently closed case, which shares a commonality with a prior number of between 7 – 10 convicted sex felons, early this year, whose similar actions have attracted very significant custodial time–no remorse. With the exception of one instance where the convicted sex felon apologised to the court and to the victim, all the others omitted this factor of submission from whatever they had to say to the court before being sentenced. There was even the particular, very outrageous instance of an assailant mocking his victim as he walked past her to enter the courtroom; astonishingly, to say the least, since it was reported that the woman had brought him up as her son.
Such attitude underlines the descent of the age in which we live, one where societal morals have become so much dissipated that even a mother figure is sexually violated by an adopted son from whom, at least, appreciation and protection should be expected.
Sadly, it reflects a complete sea change in the understanding of deliberate wrongs, and the requisite acceptance from those who offend, in at least acknowledging their transgression, despite having to face the consequences. But the fact that this type of case, on evidence observed, does not see this kind of contrition, conveys the worrying conclusion that these deviants conclude that they have a right to commit such acts of lasciviousness because it is supposed to be done to their victims, even if they are mere babies, as many of the victims are.