Thieves without a heart

IF there is any truth to the concept of honour among thieves, it certainly isn't evident in Wanganui.

The idea is that people who are perhaps driven to crime as a last recourse of action, might at least show some morals in their actions. It might be displayed by virtue of actions the person simply would not condone or victims that are off-limits.

Think Robin Hood, a folk hero because he stole from the rich to give to the poor, or a bank robber who won't allow anyone to be hurt despite the violent tendencies of his cohorts.

That implies a level of thought of the consequences or potential harm and a desire to avoid or minimise the impact. There can be a suggestion that, say, a burglar is as much a victim as the actual target. Circumstances beyond their control have forced them to act this way. But the reality is those cases are best left to the imagination or movies; in life as we know it, criminals have thought only for themselves.

Most would not think of burglars as the most discerning of characters. It's hard to imagine them running through a list of properties they wish to target and opting for the person who will be least impacted by their actions.

Certainly those who ripped off a sick child and a firefighter in Wanganui had little regard for the impact of their actions or the type of person their victim might have been; they simply saw something they had to have and took it. For some reason it seems more abhorrent to steal from a sick child and someone who saves lives than from the rest of us. I'm not sure why that is, and it's doubtful the burglars made any determination about their victims' situation or standing in society. Not that it matters - theft is theft, and on no account is it acceptable.

The thieves have already made a conscious decision to break the law, invade someone's private space and take things, often very personal items. And that is what victims regularly point to as being the most hurtful.

Material possessions can be replaced, and the psychological impact and feeling of invasion will abate in time, but photographs and mementos with sentimental value can never be replaced.

Wouldn't it be nice if, in this instance, the people responsible had an attack of conscience and returned the most sentimental items, as if to disprove the theory there is no honour among thieves. Somehow, I think we all know that won't happen.

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