WHAT justifies sending repeat-offender criminals into mainstream society? This was the question posed by a letter-writer to this newspaper. He was alluding to the sentencing inconsistency by magistrates and judges who habitually merely rap the knuckles of repeat offenders of serious crimes that have potentially murderous outcomes, then sending them back to wreak havoc in a defenceless society once more; and one cannot help but wonder about the professional ethics of those charged with the custody of the laws of the land.
What would be really poetic justice is if the criminals target the families of those offending and offensive keepers of the laws, and let them feel the anguish first-hand of the victims of the criminals they set loose on the innocent, hard-working citizens, who sometimes lose their all, even their lives many times, or the lives of their loved ones, while being plundered by the societal predators, whose idea of wealth-creation is to arm themselves and rob others of their hard-earned money and other valuables.
While this scenario is a prevalent one across the country, the letter-writer was making specific reference in this instance to Rawle Victor, called ‘Ralo’, 29, of Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, Berbice, who is alleged to have robbed businessman Mohamed Ali at gunpoint, and relieved him of $2.5M just after being released on bail from the New Amsterdam court, where he was on three charges: Two for Robbery Under Arms, and one for Robbery with Aggravation.
He was caught after diving into a swamp to elude police and public-spirited citizens. Another man, who was with Victor, fled the scene. There are many, many implications here, foremost of which is where did he acquire the gun immediately after leaving the court, and why, in the first three instances, was he not charged with illegal possession of a firearm. But even more important is the reason for someone so obviously dangerous to society to be out on the streets.
This is a recurring nightmare for the law-abiding citizens of Guyana; also for the professional police ranks who oftentimes risk their lives to catch these predators on society, only to see them walk free mere minutes or days after.
Research needs to be done to identify the magistrates and judges who are continually lenient with hardcore criminals and take them off the bench, because they are more dangerous than the criminals themselves. Indeed, their shirking of their responsibilities as guardians of the society through wise adjudication should be considered a criminal offence punishable by law, especially if a felon commits the same crime, or any crime at all, after being set loose by these myopic champions of the criminal fraternity.
It is only by God’s grace and the help of public-spirited citizens that the money and probably the life of New Amsterdam businessman Mohamed Ali has been saved; but the ‘what ifs’ are there, striking fear in every law-abiding citizen of the land.
Had Mohamed Ali lost his life, then the only culpable person would have been the person who sent Rawle Victor back on the streets after committing serious crimes, not once, but several times. This is a matter that needs to be looked into, and urgently, by the powers-that-be.