KDH: Government Irresponsible, Fails to Ensure That Shoplifting Is Punished

Bratislava, 12 September (TASR) – Even a year since an amendment to the Criminal Code was adopted that introduced the more lenient prosecution of corruption, the government has still been unable to ensure that shoplifting is punished effectively, opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) vice-chair Viliam Karas declared on Friday, dismissing claims that the rise in theft has been caused by "growing aggression in society" as absurd. According to Karas, the real reason for the increase in theft is confidence among offenders that their actions will go unpunished. "Today’s reality is that a thief can walk out of a shop with goods worth less than 700 euros and face no consequences – even if they do it repeatedly. This is the result of the government's irresponsible policy," said Karas. He pointed out that a solution had already been prepared during the previous parliamentary term in the form of the so-called Karas Amendment, which also aimed to reform the Misdemeanours Act. "Experts and we in the Christian Democratic Movement clearly warned that without a simultaneous amendment to the Misdemeanours Act and without strengthening personnel capacities, a large number of offences would go unpunished," he added. On Thursday (11 September), Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice–SD) and Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) claimed that the rise in crime and aggression in retail does not stem from the coalition-approved amendment to the criminal codes, but from a general increase in societal aggression. According to the Interior Minister, retail theft is not primarily about the value of the stolen goods, as the minor thefts being addressed would not have been classified as criminal offences even before the amendment. The real issue, he argued, is growing aggression and, above all, repeat offences. He noted that the Misdemeanours Act should also be amended to include the introduction of minor municipal services as a new legal measure. mf/df