Sustaining faith in our society - Confronting boorish behaviour

THERE are few things that encourage a person to take a cynical view of our justice and policing systems as much as being a victim of a petty crime, have the perpetrators identified and admit their guilt, only to see them walk free without incurring any meaningful sanction for their behaviour.

Yet, that is the reality faced by taxi driver John Constant, 57, who was assaulted by one of a group of young men, one of whom got sick in his minivan. This criminal boorishness is the kind of unacceptable behaviour that can make a victim’s life more than unpleasant and, in this instance, dangerous.

Yet, even though one of Mr Constant’s attackers was identified, he was not brought to court, but rather given an official warning by gardaí. There are probably many reasons for this: The young man’s clean record, the inappropriateness of a custodial sentence, and the possibility of initiating the usual circus if a fine was imposed.