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Criminality

COME ON: One murder every five days and ten thefts an hour – 2024-05-07 14:45:24

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com May 7, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Every day, 242 thefts and break-ins are recorded in the country, nine robberies (some even with the victims held hostage), one rape, 23 assaults with bodily harm – usually in the middle of the street –, about four cases of suicide, 39 cases of extortion, 16 frauds mainly elderly, while approximately four suicides or attempted suicides are also recorded.

These impressive figures emerge from the statistics of EL.AS. on crime in Greece.

Their conclusions are shocking: in our country there is a murder every five days and an attempted murder every two days.

Also, every four days a prisoner escape is recorded – many of which are not made public – while there are daily around ten incidents of disobedience and resistance during police checks. A dramatic aspect of the above is the drug cases, as every day 35 drug trafficking cases are detected, while every 24 hours 45 cases of illegal weapons carrying and weapon use are recorded. In other words, almost every hour two such offenses are criminalized.

As it appears from the data of EL.AS. for 2023 (with roughly the same crime rates recorded in the first quarter of 2024), last year there were 71 manslaughter murders and 194 attempted murders – compared to 79 murders against life recorded in 2022 and 167 attempts. For the said murderous attacks (attempts but completed with the death of the unfortunate people) a case file was filed against 431 people, of which 278 are Greeks and 153 foreigners.

It is impressive that 21 of those arrested for murderous attacks were aged 15 to 18, 22 from 19 to 20, 65 aged 21 to 24, while 35 were 60 or older! Also in 2023 there were 75 negligent homicides. Of the murders with malice, 32 – a percentage of 45% – took place in Athens and nine (a percentage of 13%) in Thessaloniki.

Rape cases

Also, in 2023 there were 381 rape attacks compared to 446 in 2022. Of these attacks, 181, i.e. about half, occurred in Attica, while the next region where sexual assaults show a large increase is the one in the South Aegean (Cyclades etc.) with 44 related incidents (i.e. 12% of the total), mainly of course during the tourist season. Of the 335 rape perpetrators, 40, i.e. 12%, are minors.

Also in 2023 there were 88,075 thefts and break-ins (compared to 90,933 in 2022) of which 52,776 occurred in Attica where 60% of the related criminal activity is located but also where 30% of the police personnel serve (with many police services weakened, if and an effort is being made by the current leadership of Katehaki Avenue to cover the relevant gaps).

20% of thefts and burglaries (17,277 in total) occur in the region of Thessaloniki, while in the region of Western Greece (Achaia, Aetoloakarnania, Ilia) 3.5% of related offenses are found. Furthermore, of the 20,000 perpetrators of thefts and burglaries that have been arrested, approximately 15,400 are citizens. The data collected as well as the relevant reports of EL.AS. show a significant participation in the above – more than 70% – attributed to members of the “Roma gang”. The value of further analysis is judged by the executives of EL.AS. that 95 children aged 7 to 11 (!), 579 aged 12 to 14 and 1,755 aged 15 to 18 were arrested for theft and burglary in 2023. Also 806 elderly people have been arrested as perpetrators of such criminal acts.

Regarding robbery attacks, there are now 3,103 per year, of which 2,373, i.e. 77%, are in Attica. What is also impressive is that in 2023 a total of 107 robberies with hostages were recorded, of which 90 in Athens, 12 in Thessaloniki and two in the Cyclades. In the same period of time there were 432 extortions, with the action of mainly “godfathers of the night” rings or other isolated incidents. 224, i.e. more than half, took place in Attica, 55 in Thessaloniki, 25 in Western Greece and 24 in the Cyclades.

There were also 5,762 frauds (against 5,176 in 2002, i.e. an increase of 10%), of which 2,801, 54%, in Attica, 701 in Thessaloniki and 356 in Central Macedonia.

It is particularly impressive that according to the aforementioned statistics of EL.AS. within 2023, two children from 7 to 11 years(!) and 85 from 15 to 20 years were arrested for fraud.

However, special importance is given by officers of the security authorities to incidents involving everyday life. Thus, in 2023 there were 8,417 assaults with bodily harm compared to 8,323 in 2022 and 7,900 in 2021, i.e. an increasing trend. Of these attacks, 3,556 have been recorded in Attica, followed by Thessaloniki with 948 related incidents and immediately after Crete where, based on population data, a large number of 461 related incidents are recorded. Of the total 8,738 arrested for dangerous bodily harm, six were 7 to 11 years old, 182 were 12 to 14 years old, and 735 were 15 to 18 years old, a sample of the involvement of minors in criminal activities. It is considered interesting that 1,372 people over the age of 60 were arrested last year for the same type of attacks!

Also in 2023 there were 14,056 cases of harassment compared to 13,564 in 2022 and 11,791 in 2021, a sign of the growing tension between many citizens.

Domestic violence

It is also particularly interesting that of the 12,203 arrested for domestic violence, 223 are minors, 3,790 between the ages of 35 and 44 (this age group has the highest rate of participation in these violent attacks within the family) and 1,514 are over 60 years old. . Finally, of the 18,049 drug traffickers arrested in 2023, 1,226 were between the ages of 12 and 18, while of the 22,630 who have been arrested for illegal weapons carrying, use of weapons, etc. 825 are minors.

The suicides

In 2023, 464 suicides (390 men and 74 women) and 972 attempts (569 men and 403 women) were recorded. Of the 464 suicides, 63 were due to terminal illness, 8 for financial reasons and 10 for emotional reasons. In 370 cases the cause of suicide was not identified. It is noted that in 2022 there were 17 suicides for financial reasons.

#murder #days #ten #thefts #hour

May 7, 2024 0 comments

World

“The first thing I caught and didn’t destroy” – 2024-05-06 04:21:12

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com May 6, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

H.L. at 15 he broke the law and without realizing it he found himself in the dock, facing the consequences of his act. The sentence imposed on him was 50 hours of community service, translated into providing gardening services to the Municipality of Kalamata.

After some time, having already served his sentence and seeing one of the plants he planted growing, he said to Angeliki Roumeliotousocial worker and juvenile supervisor of the Kalamata Court: “Do you see this? I planted it myself and it didn’t go bad. It seems to be the first thing I caught and didn’t destroy…”.

“No one has said ‘well done’ to them”

Speaking to “Vima”, the person responsible for the 15-year-old – at the time – offender decodes the seemingly simple phrase that, as she says, she will remember forever.

“Many times, some children tell us that no one from their environment has said a ‘well done’ for something they had made. They grew up as black sheep, without childishness” he explains and refers with emotion to a few more children he supervised.

“They were two 17-year-olds, P. and K. After we completed the hours of community service that had been imposed on them, they confessed to me that during their “sentence” for the first time they cooperated with someone else, listened to his opinion, failed but persisted, without giving up. That, I think, says a lot about the kids who end up with us.”.

For his part, Dimitris, 19 years old today, remembers that a few years ago, still a minor, he too found himself in the position of the accused. Cause, a wallet he stole. Identifying him in the country town where he lives was an easy task and so he quickly found himself in the local department and then in court.

“In court I promised to be correct. They made me double the hours, 100, but I didn’t complain. I made a bet with myself” – Dimitris, 19 years old

“I was involved in other nonsense back then” he tells and narrates his own path to imprisonment: “Almost after two years the court was held. They gave me 50 hours of community service. The supervisor had told me that there was a possibility for me to work at the Municipality for some hours, really, but I thought it was fairer to get a reprimand, let’s face it, six months of supervision… It didn’t sit well with me. The curator explained to me, but I didn’t want to. But I didn’t tell her anything”.

Work began over the summer, with Dimitris steadfastly reluctant to show consistency and avoid further entanglements. “I started in the middle of July. I started… Let’s say I started. I was late, I didn’t go, I left earlier. I thought that in the summer everything is relaxed. Who would see if I was gone? But it wasn’t like that”. His repeated absences worried the curator who called him repeatedly as her responsibility is to supervise the faithful implementation of the schedule and also to resolve any issues.

“On the one hand, he irritated me, on the other hand, again, he showed interest in me. It was the first time I did community service. By and large, I was done but I knew I wasn’t right to her and not right to the boss in the Municipality, who was fine with me and never turned me down. Of course, she had her complaints too. The positive thing was that I learned to wake up early” continues.

“I knew I raised them”

Dimitris “relapsed” soon. This time, however, realizing it was his last chance, he agreed to community service from the start. “In court I promised to be correct. They made me double the hours, 100, but I didn’t complain. I made a bet with myself».

This time he had to provide his services to a nursery. “The supervisor was strict but fair. He made it clear to me that if I did what we agreed, everything would be fine.”. Indeed, gradually, forced labor turned into a pleasant daily routine.

“I liked the little plants in the nursery. Every day they got bigger and bigger and we changed their pots. Later I saw some of them in some planters and I knew that I grew them” he remembers. Relations with his superior evolved from formal to friendly, while time passed “without him realizing it”.

“All the workers had started to consider me one of their own. In the last few days I even asked if I could get a job there, but it was not possible. On the last day the supervisor told the supervisor to send kids like me back to him. He thanked me and told me that I can come whenever I want”.

“Some children tell us that no one from their environment has said a ‘well done’ for something they had made. They grew up as black sheep, without childishness” – Angeliki Roumeliotou, social worker

Somehow, Dimitris managed to stay away from the “nonsense”. “I felt I could. I found a job and later another one, which I went to as a supplement, whenever I was needed. From September I say I will continue school and maybe at the second high school of EPAL I will take the specialty of plant production technician” concludes the 19-year-old.

Referring to the cases of children like Dimitris, who lost their compass during the – difficult anyway – adolescence, wandering in the pits of mild delinquency, Angeliki Roumeliotou emphasizes that the saddest thing is that they forget to dream.

“Children’s dreams give us the raw material to rebuild with them what went wrong in their childhood – with delinquent behavior as a symptom”.

When and how it is applied

For juvenile offenders who have committed serious crimes, the measure of providing community service is indicated as the last option available to the institutions of the penal system before imposing their admission to a “Juvenile Institution”.

It is set as a continuation of a court decision after the end of the hearing procedure which takes place behind closed doors and concerns minors over 15 years of age and young people up to 25 years of age. The implementation of the community service is supervised by the competent supervisor who conducts a social investigation in order to decide on the most appropriate criminal treatment of the offender, taking into account the particular characteristics of the minor, his skills and interests, as well as the nature of his delinquent act.

Finally, the version of the final proposal includes the employment agency, the type of work provided and the total number of hours, “which should not exceed 150, as the maximum limit for misdemeanor acts, and 180 as the maximum limit for felonies” explains in “Vima” o George Karvelassocial worker and curator of the Juvenile Probation Service and Social Assistance of Chalkida.

Minors are employed in city and coastal cleaning services, gardening, forest firefighting or reforestation, while they can provide services to institutions for the deaf, blind or people with special needs. Bodies to which they can also offer their services are the OTAs but also other services of the state and non-profit public benefit legal entities under private law.

“It is extremely helpful for a probation officer to implement the reformative measure of community service with a juvenile with interests and goals. I distinctly remember a child who did an apprenticeship in the municipal workshop and continued in the same subject with community service as part of his practical training” emphasizes the experienced social worker and juvenile probation officer.

Community service in Greece

(Applies to minors over 15 and young people aged 18-25)

Community service hours:

Upper limit for misdemeanors: 150 hours
Upper limit for felonies: 180 hours

Services:

Cleaning Services
Gardening work
Forest fire fighting or reforestation
Subscription to institutions for the deaf, blind or disabled

Employment agencies:

Hellenic Red Cross
General Secretariat of the New Generation
National Welfare Organization
Municipalities
Local Government Organizations
Public Legal Entities
Non-Profit Public Beneficial Legal Entities of Private Law

#caught #didnt #destroy

May 6, 2024 0 comments

News

NYC Juvenile Arrests Decline: Impact of Raise the Age Law on Young Offenders

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com March 14, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

More than five years have passed since the tax increase reform began to be implemented in New York. age of criminal responsibility, after the legislation was enacted “Raise the Age”, which raised it from 16 to 18 years old. Under this regulation, 16- and 17-year-olds now accused of minor crimes are not sent to criminal courts but go to family court, where they can be tried as juvenile offenders.

It should be noted that according to the law, those minors who commit violent crimes They can still be prosecuted in criminal court, since “a young person of 16 or 17 years accused of having committed serious crimes is considered an “adolescent offender.” And in order for a prosecutor to present them in adult court, he must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant caused physical injuries important to a person who did not participate in the crime, displayed a firearm or deadly weapon, or had illegal sexual relations or sexual conduct.

But recent events in which minors have been arrested, such as the case of the 15-year-old boy who fired a gun, wounding a tourist, after a robbery in a Times Square store, and other detainees accused of violent crimes, have returned to add gunpowder to the discussion. However, arrests of minors continue to be a minimal part of detentions and continue to decline.

And according to data provided by the NYPDbetween last year and so far in 2024, more than 10,000 minors have been arrested in the Big Apple, which is equivalent to more than 21 arrests of teenagers every 24 hours. In In 2023, police arrested 8,450 minors under 18 years of ageand until the beginning of March, this 2024 a total of 1,587 arrests, of which the 62.1% (986) were related to the seven main categories of arrestsand the 4.2%represented in 67 caseswere related to weapons.

According to reports from the Uniformed Police, arrests in 2023 in all categories of crimes increased 19.5%, going from 189,781 arrests in 2022 to 226,872, but juvenile cases represented only 3.7% of total arrests overall, and 1.5% of arrests related to illegal possession of weapons.

2022 reports revealed that arrests for serious assault crimes among New Yorkers under 18 years of age represented only 4% of the total of 18,895 crimes committed at that time, half the percentage of 2014 (which was 8%) and much less than in 2006, when these crimes among minors represented 15%. The study also found that youth under the age of 18 accounted for 8% of all arrests for serious dangerous weapons crimes, up from 9% in 2014, before the so-called law was enacted. ley “Raise the Age”.

And although criminal acts carried out by minors have been used by Republican leaders to show in Albany that it is urgent to review the laws that raised the age of criminal responsibility, insisting that the rule has “endangered the public safety of New Yorkers,” those who defend changes, they insist that it is a fairer and more humane approach that, in the process, helps prevent the rise of crime.

But the accusations of conservative leaders such as the congresswoman from Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, Nicole Malliotakiswho has asked the state Legislature to “make fixes” to the regulations that, he says, “frustrate the NYPD when they make an arrest and the criminal does not pay for their actions,” has also echoed among some New Yorkers of Latino origin.

This is how Hispanics make it look like Maribel Londono, mother of a family, who has lived in the Big Apple for 8 years, and who shows her support for pencil is passed back to the law of criminal responsibility, but at the same time urges investment in more support programs for young people and low-income families.

“I agree that it was necessary to make changes to the justice system because there was a lot of injustice, but I feel that things with minors were very biased and that is why there are 16 and 17 year old boys who believe they can do whatever they want.” willingly, even attacking and killing, because eventually they know that nothing serious is going to happen to them. That has to be stopped“comments the Colombian.
“But I think that the changes that must be made also have to do with creating more sports, arts and vocational education programs and centers, like in our countries, because I do not believe that any child is born bad. What happens is that They lack opportunities and support, and those who go astray, it depends on the crime, we must help them straighten out or punish them, but so that they do not commit crimes again, not to keep them locked up.”

Eduardo Martínezwho works as a teacher at a school in the Big Apple, recognizes that crime caused by minors cannot be ignored, but he called on the authorities to “not misinform” to promote changes that he says would be “harmful.” especially for minors from Latino, immigrant and black communities.

“What happened with the minor who shot in Times Square is something serious and very serious, but that It does not mean that we have to change the laws again and punish all minors who commit crimes again and treat them like adult criminals.. Psychology itself reveals that a person does not finish developing brain until they are 24 or 25 years old and the figures do not show that young people in general are committing more crimes but less,” said the father of the family.

And in order to implement measures that help improve the chances that juvenile offenders do not commit crimes again, almost a hundred New York organizations and leaders They are urging Albany to approve, within the fiscal 2025 budget, a $250 million item, which currently excludes New York City from accessing that juvenile justice funding.

Leaders call for establishing a Juvenile Justice Innovation Fund with $50 million from the general appropriation for community organizations to provide a continuum of services from prevention and early intervention to alternatives to detention.

“These investments will help New York deliver on the promise of Raise the Age by supporting both youth and community safety.“, he warns in the letter, sent to Governor Hochul and the leaders of the state Legislature.

“Last fall marked five years since Raise the Age was first implemented across New York State, ending a shameful chapter in our history of prosecuting 16- and 17-year-olds as adults, regardless of crime. . “Thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds were held in dangerous conditions at Rikers Island and other adult prisons across the state,” they added.

Advocates for young offenders made it clear, as authorities’ figures show, that “Juvenile crime has decreased constantly” since the implementation of Raise the Age in 2018.

“Only in the city of York, since 2013 there has been a 48% decrease in the arrests of adolescents for serious crimes. And across New York State, there has been a decline 68% in teen arrests for serious crimes since 2013. “Evidence from statewide implementation clearly shows how the law has improved community safety and youth well-being,” the leaders stressed. “Despite this important progress, New York State has not fully delivered on its promise to fund community-based services and programs that provide alternatives to incarceration and recidivism.”

Michael Whyland, director of communications for the speaker of the state Assembly Carl Heastie, showed that the Democratic leader and the legislators of that party support the changes that were made to criminal justice, which among other things have allowed the new approach to the treatment of minor offenders .

“Assembly Speaker Heastie and the Democratic majority in the Assembly have led the way in enacting historic criminal justice reforms, including ‘Raise the Age,’” the House speaker said. “We are currently actively discussing the budget with our members and will present the Assembly budget proposal.”

Arrests of minors have decreased considerably in NY after penal reform. Edwin Martinez

From the side of organizations defending immigrantsthe call is to not take recently arrived minors as scapegoats and they ask that progress be made in the resocialization of juvenile delinquents instead of taking steps backwards, returning to those days when minors were sent to prisons like Rikers Island, as if they were adults.

“The misguided calls by some Republicans to criminalize children and young people are shameful and xenophobic. Prosecuting children as adults does not make communities safer. “This is not the time to go back,” he said. Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the NYIC (New York Immigration Coalition). “New York spent generations treating children like adults in criminal courts with no correlation to reduced crime rates. “Proposals to amend Raise the Age legislation scapegoat young people and distract from the real solutions our elected leaders must responsibly advance to achieve public safety.”

Data on arrests of minors in NY

10,000 arrests of minors have been recorded since 2023 in NY
21 arrests of minors under 18 years of age are made every 24 hours
8,450 minors under 18 were arrested last year in NYC
Overall arrests increased by 19.5% in 2023, which were 226,872
3.7% of those arrests involved minors, less than previous years
1.5% of total gun arrests involved teenagers under 18.
Arrests of teens for serious crimes have decreased by 48% since 2013 in the city
There has been a 68% reduction in teen arrests for serious crimes statewide.
1,587 arrests of minors had been recorded this year until the beginning of March
62.1% of arrests were related to the seven main arrest categories
4.2%, represented in 67 cases, were related to weapons
The age of criminal responsibility was raised from 16 to 18 in 2018
16 and 17 year olds now accused of minor crimes are not sent to criminal courts but to family court

2024-03-14 10:00:00
#Train #wreck #handling #justice #criminals #juvenile #offenders #Diario

March 14, 2024 0 comments

World

Megara: A spiral of attacks, extortions and abductions with Roma victims was dismantled – 2024-02-27 20:37:10

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 27, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

A wild gang that had become a nightmare for the Roma in the settlement of Megara, with attacks, blackmail, and even kidnapping children, in order to extract money from the defenseless victims, was dismantled by the Security Department of Megara.

After a coordinated police operation with the assistance of police officers from the Megara Police Department and OPKE, three men aged 52, 30 and 26 years old, members of the criminal organization, who lived there, were arrested in the morning hours of 2-2-2024, in the settlement. against whom, as well as against other 10 members of the spiral, a case file was filed -as the case may be- for extortion, attempted murder, dangerous and grievous bodily harm, abduction of a minor, illegal detention, attempted rape, robbery, power theft, usury and violation of gun legislation.

Five of the defendants, including the leader of the gang, are already incarcerated in the country’s detention centers for other crimes.

The action of the spiral

As it emerged from the preliminary investigation, the defendants, at least in the last year, had founded and joined an organization with continuous action and distinct roles among its members.

In particular, in terms of their mode of action, the defendants, after locating their victims, who were, like the perpetrators, residents of the settlement, forced them to hand over sums of money.

The victims were mainly the most vulnerable and powerless to resist, and in case they did not comply with the demands of the accused, they were pressured with threats to their lives or the lives of their family members.

Sometimes the threats were accompanied by the use of a weapon or physical violence against their victims, in order to bend their resistances and achieve their goal. Characteristic of their cruelty was the fact that they even abducted the children of the victims, in order to force them to hand over the requested sums. The members of the organization also “undertook” extortion on behalf of third parties, or “protection” of residents of the settlement, for a fee.

It is noted that the 26-year-old had tried, at gunpoint, to rape a woman inside the settlement, but she managed to escape.

As part of the investigation, 15 cases of criminal acts have been identified so far.

After a search of their possession and home, among other things, a hunting rifle, 18 cartridges and 4 casings and 10 mobile phones were found and confiscated.

Those arrested were taken to the Criminal Prosecutor of Athens.

Source: RES-MPE

#Megara #spiral #attacks #extortions #abductions #Roma #victims #dismantled

February 27, 2024 0 comments

World

ELAS: An eight-member criminal organization was dismantled – It was also active in the stadiums – 2024-02-23 01:41:07

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 23, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Eight people are in the hands of the authorities after an ELAS operation. They are accused of setting up a criminal organization that operated in nightclubs and stadiums in Attica.

In fact, at least two of them are involved in the shots fired during a football match in Aspropyrgos.

A case file was filed against them – as the case may be – for dangerous and grievous bodily harm committed in the context of an organized gang, violation of the laws on weapons, drugs, flares and flares and on amateur and professional sports, for K.O.K., public disturbance peace and deterioration of foreign property.

The police announcement

“The Extortion Prosecution Department of the Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Life and Property of the Attica Security Directorate dismantled a criminal organization whose members committed attacks on customers of nightclubs in the center of Athens and on fans during football matches inside the stadiums, in various regions of Attica.

To put an end to their action, during the midday and afternoon hours on Monday, February 19, 2024, a coordinated police operation was carried out, during which -8- people were arrested, while another person who is a member of the gang is being sought.

As it emerged from the investigation, the members of the organization at least since July 2022 were committing beatings of customers in nightclubs in the center of Athens, while they were also involved in fan incidents inside playing fields during football matches in Attica.

It was established that they were involved in -2- attacks against patrons of nightclubs in the center of Athens, during the months of March and September of last year, which resulted in the serious injury of customers, including two active police officers, as well as and the participation of members of the gang in -2- fights that took place between fans during football matches and in February 2024 in playing fields in areas of Attica.

In particular, in June 2022 in a stadium in Gazi, at least -3- of the gang members had attacked the police forces with stones, plastic seats, plastic and glass bottles, hand flares and using fire extinguishers, injuring -2- policemen. Also, on February 18, 2024 at a stadium in Aspropyrgos, -2- of the defendants were involved in the shooting incident (refer to the Press Release from 02-19-2024).

What the authorities found:

metal iron fist with built-in folding knife
-3-patches
collapsible glob
nylon packages, which contained 1.5 grams of raw cannabis
shoulder bag
motorcycle gloves with bone lining
folding knife and folding knife
-15- vials and -5- tablets of unknown substances, possible anabolics
-3- air pistols
medium sized axe
license plate I.X.E. obviously fake
unlicensed single barrel shotgun
-20- carbine cartridges
-2- improvised drug use packages (fribba) adapted to plastic bottles
paper package with -1.8- grams of cocaine
-20- notes of -50- euros and a note of -200- euros, obviously counterfeit
clothing, which had been used during the commission of the illegal actions and
the amount of -320- euros.

It is pointed out that -7- of the defendants have been employed again in the past for various crimes.

Those arrested have been referred to an investigator, while the investigation continues to ascertain the full scope of their criminal activity.”.

#ELAS #eightmember #criminal #organization #dismantled #active #stadiums

February 23, 2024 0 comments

World

Animal Crimes ‘CSI’ in the works – 2024-02-17 04:45:28

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 17, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

In the famous TV series CSI, the scripts of its creators introduce us to the methodology of a team of police authorities, which, with the help of expert scientists, investigates mysteries and unusual crimes.

In our country, an attempt is now being made to create the first ACSI (Animal Crime Scene Investigation), i.e. the first scientific team to investigate crimes against animals, with the aim of investigating a series of serious cases and assisting justice, before which the perpetrators of such crimes arrive who are now punished as a felony and are threatened with prison sentences.

Hasiya, the little white tiger who was abandoned outside the Attica Park a year ago, as well as the death of the dog Oliver in Arachova which had caused strong reactions and the immediate intervention of the prosecutor of the Supreme Court Anastasia Masoura (responsible for the protection of animals at the highest judicial level) came to highlight the need to have a statutory veterinary forensic service in Greece, which will operate in accordance with all international protocols and will help in the effective delivery of justice in a period of time when, as the current situation has shown, cases of extreme abuse with animal victims are increasing.

Headquarters of the service the University of Thessaly

According to information, at the initiative of the Justice Department, efforts have already begun to create and operate such a service based at the University of Thessaly, where the many years of experience of the professor of Animal Pathology-Veterinary Forensics and director of the Foundation’s respective laboratory will be utilized. Dimitris Tontis and the assistant professor of Veterinary Forensic and Diagnostic Animal Pathological Anatomy Dimitris Doukas. For the implementation of this plan, of course, as sources with knowledge of the matter say, it is necessary to sign as soon as possible a Memorandum of Cooperation that will connect the triangle “Justice – Police – Veterinary Forensics”, just as it happens in crimes against humanity of life.

The presence of a veterinarian with specialized knowledge of forensics, who will be found from the very first minutes at the scene of the crime, is considered certain to be able to contribute the most to the investigation of such heinous acts with animal victims, to illuminate dark parts of the case and ultimately the veterinary forensic report to be a basic “tool” in the hands of the police authorities as well, but mainly of the judges who are called upon to judge such cases based on the new legislative framework. In fact, for the information of judicial officers, a relevant seminar is also in the works to be organized at the National School of Judges.

Need for supply appropriate means

In addition to the Memorandum of Cooperation, however, the appropriate instruments are also required. For this reason, a refrigerated car is needed to transport the animals to its headquarters… ACSI – in this case in Karditsa, where the Veterinary School is housed – or a Mobile Necropsy Unit, which will be able to carry out the work with the appropriate staff of her in different places. Adherence to these strict protocols is of course a far cry from today’s conditions where animals are usually transported in special styrofoam with ice packs, with what this can mean for the thorough investigation and evaluation of findings that may have been altered or lost until to reach their destination.

The two professors who make up the “ACSI team” Mr. Tontis and Doukas referring to the value of veterinary forensics, a relatively new field of veterinary science that is developing and evolving rapidly, have pointed out that “its use today makes it possible to draw conclusions which are made available to bodies, especially the judiciary for the awarding of law in cases involving animals». It is worth noting that the abuse and illegal killing of companion animals are international frequent phenomena, raising the interest of government agencies, even the FBI! The goal in Greece too must be the consolidation of veterinary forensics, the development of crime scene investigation protocols and the application of evidence evaluation methods.

In what way investigations will be carried out

But what does a veterinary forensic investigation consist of? The most important stages, as described by the experts, are:

Carrying out a full veterinary necropsy, with the aim not only to determine the cause of death, but also to record, collect, preserve and send for laboratory tests all evidence that may be related to the killing of the animal.
Carrying out laboratory tests in specialized laboratories in addition to the autopsy, such as: histopathological, imaging, microbiological, toxicological and molecular biology tests (e.g. DNA profile).
Compilation of a veterinary forensic report in order to provide useful information to the prosecuting and judicial authorities.
Antechamber of violence against minors

Companion animal forensics, unlike human forensics, has only existed in practice as a specialty in the last twenty years, following societal pressure on the issue of animal abuse as well as civil and criminal liability.

Finally, we must not forget that, as has emerged from research and based on the recent announcement of the Panhellenic Philanthropic Federation, the abuse of animals is often the… vestibule that leads to violence against children, minors, and generally vulnerable people. In children and adolescents, animal abuse, as has been established by research, is associated with conduct disorder, addiction disorders, as well as the paraphilic disorder of animal love. In adults it is mainly associated with antisocial personality disorder, secondarily with addiction disorders and more rarely with other psychiatric disorders.

#Animal #Crimes #CSI #works

February 17, 2024 0 comments

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