LOL Don't you see your own contradictions? Society is protecting itself by protecting its citizens from being victims when it prosecutes criminals. Criminals are prosecuted on behalf of the victims. Before the institution of laws victims and their families exacted their own retributions.
Society recognizes that some crimes are more heinous than others.
Yah well I see that's your point. You want to protect some victims more than others.
And then you want to pretend that you don't.