Posted on 10/23/2004 12:47:31 PM PDT by Dave Burns
The silent crime The brutal kicking that is a British scourge
In responding yesterday to the decline in overall crime but an increase in violent offences, David Blunkett declared: “We are going to target the areas of the country and those particular neighbourhoods where violent crime is causing and has caused concern.” As the Home Secretary appreciates, he also needs to target particular forms of violent criminal activity. While much attention has, understandably, been placed on gun crime, there is another area where focus should be directed. As Theodore Dalrymple’s analysis and Ian Richardson’s harrowing personal account in T2 today outline, the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon. The surge in such attacks is profoundly disturbing. During the 1990s, approximately 100 people a year died because of hitting and/or kicking. This was an appalling state of affairs but it was at least comparatively stable. But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
There are several elements of this atrocious situation that demand investigation and action. One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating.
There is the strong sense, as Dalrymple argues, that this is a peculiarly British problem, but still no satisfactory explanation about why this might be. There is a theory that it is linked to alcohol consumption yet it is difficult to believe that drinking has increased by 60 per cent in a mere two years to produce a 60 per cent rise in hitting and kicking murders. There is a disturbing silence about this crime.
It is also the task of the courts to become much more vocal in tackling it. There should be an assumption that any incident involving one or more people kicking another is aggravated assault or an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm. There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife. The judiciary has to send a signal that it understands that attacks of these kind have become almost fashionable in a sadistic manner, and impose sentences which may serve as a truly serious deterrent. Dalrymple describes those who engage in kicking as young men who are usually “angry, resentful, embittered and incapable of self-examination”. It is high time the police, the courts and society at large took this vile crime more seriously.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Hostage politics
Reel success
On second thoughts
Opinions past: Leading article, Politics in Ulster, October 23, 1982
The silent crime The brutal kicking that is a British scourge
In responding yesterday to the decline in overall crime but an increase in violent offences, David Blunkett declared: “We are going to target the areas of the country and those particular neighbourhoods where violent crime is causing and has caused concern.” As the Home Secretary appreciates, he also needs to target particular forms of violent criminal activity. While much attention has, understandably, been placed on gun crime, there is another area where focus should be directed. As Theodore Dalrymple’s analysis and Ian Richardson’s harrowing personal account in T2 today outline, the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon. The surge in such attacks is profoundly disturbing. During the 1990s, approximately 100 people a year died because of hitting and/or kicking. This was an appalling state of affairs but it was at least comparatively stable. But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
There are several elements of this atrocious situation that demand investigation and action. One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating.
There is the strong sense, as Dalrymple argues, that this is a peculiarly British problem, but still no satisfactory explanation about why this might be. There is a theory that it is linked to alcohol consumption yet it is difficult to believe that drinking has increased by 60 per cent in a mere two years to produce a 60 per cent rise in hitting and kicking murders. There is a disturbing silence about this crime.
It is also the task of the courts to become much more vocal in tackling it. There should be an assumption that any incident involving one or more people kicking another is aggravated assault or an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm. There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife. The judiciary has to send a signal that it understands that attacks of these kind have become almost fashionable in a sadistic manner, and impose sentences which may serve as a truly serious deterrent. Dalrymple describes those who engage in kicking as young men who are usually “angry, resentful, embittered and incapable of self-examination”. It is high time the police, the courts and society at large took this vile crime more seriously.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Hostage politics
Reel success
On second thoughts
Opinions past: Leading article, Politics in Ulster, October 23, 1982
The silent crime The brutal kicking that is a British scourge
In responding yesterday to the decline in overall crime but an increase in violent offences, David Blunkett declared: “We are going to target the areas of the country and those particular neighbourhoods where violent crime is causing and has caused concern.” As the Home Secretary appreciates, he also needs to target particular forms of violent criminal activity. While much attention has, understandably, been placed on gun crime, there is another area where focus should be directed. As Theodore Dalrymple’s analysis and Ian Richardson’s harrowing personal account in T2 today outline, the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon. The surge in such attacks is profoundly disturbing. During the 1990s, approximately 100 people a year died because of hitting and/or kicking. This was an appalling state of affairs but it was at least comparatively stable. But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
There are several elements of this atrocious situation that demand investigation and action. One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating.
There is the strong sense, as Dalrymple argues, that this is a peculiarly British problem, but still no satisfactory explanation about why this might be. There is a theory that it is linked to alcohol consumption yet it is difficult to believe that drinking has increased by 60 per cent in a mere two years to produce a 60 per cent rise in hitting and kicking murders. There is a disturbing silence about this crime.
It is also the task of the courts to become much more vocal in tackling it. There should be an assumption that any incident involving one or more people kicking another is aggravated assault or an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm. There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife. The judiciary has to send a signal that it understands that attacks of these kind have become almost fashionable in a sadistic manner, and impose sentences which may serve as a truly serious deterrent. Dalrymple describes those who engage in kicking as young men who are usually “angry, resentful, embittered and incapable of self-examination”. It is high time the police, the courts and society at large took this vile crime more seriously.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Hostage politics
Reel success
On second thoughts
Opinions past: Leading article, Politics in Ulster, October 23, 1982
The silent crime The brutal kicking that is a British scourge
In responding yesterday to the decline in overall crime but an increase in violent offences, David Blunkett declared: “We are going to target the areas of the country and those particular neighbourhoods where violent crime is causing and has caused concern.” As the Home Secretary appreciates, he also needs to target particular forms of violent criminal activity. While much attention has, understandably, been placed on gun crime, there is another area where focus should be directed. As Theodore Dalrymple’s analysis and Ian Richardson’s harrowing personal account in T2 today outline, the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon. The surge in such attacks is profoundly disturbing. During the 1990s, approximately 100 people a year died because of hitting and/or kicking. This was an appalling state of affairs but it was at least comparatively stable. But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
There are several elements of this atrocious situation that demand investigation and action. One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating.
There is the strong sense, as Dalrymple argues, that this is a peculiarly British problem, but still no satisfactory explanation about why this might be. There is a theory that it is linked to alcohol consumption yet it is difficult to believe that drinking has increased by 60 per cent in a mere two years to produce a 60 per cent rise in hitting and kicking murders. There is a disturbing silence about this crime.
It is also the task of the courts to become much more vocal in tackling it. There should be an assumption that any incident involving one or more people kicking another is aggravated assault or an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm. There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife. The judiciary has to send a signal that it understands that attacks of these kind have become almost fashionable in a sadistic manner, and impose sentences which may serve as a truly serious deterrent. Dalrymple describes those who engage in kicking as young men who are usually “angry, resentful, embittered and incapable of self-examination”. It is high time the police, the courts and society at large took this vile crime more seriously.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Hostage politics
Reel success
On second thoughts
Opinions past: Leading article, Politics in Ulster, October 23, 1982
October 22, 2004
The silent crime The brutal kicking that is a British scourge
In responding yesterday to the decline in overall crime but an increase in violent offences, David Blunkett declared: “We are going to target the areas of the country and those particular neighbourhoods where violent crime is causing and has caused concern.” As the Home Secretary appreciates, he also needs to target particular forms of violent criminal activity. While much attention has, understandably, been placed on gun crime, there is another area where focus should be directed. As Theodore Dalrymple’s analysis and Ian Richardson’s harrowing personal account in T2 today outline, the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon. The surge in such attacks is profoundly disturbing. During the 1990s, approximately 100 people a year died because of hitting and/or kicking. This was an appalling state of affairs but it was at least comparatively stable. But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
There are several elements of this atrocious situation that demand investigation and action. One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating.
There is the strong sense, as Dalrymple argues, that this is a peculiarly British problem, but still no satisfactory explanation about why this might be. There is a theory that it is linked to alcohol consumption yet it is difficult to believe that drinking has increased by 60 per cent in a mere two years to produce a 60 per cent rise in hitting and kicking murders. There is a disturbing silence about this crime.
It is also the task of the courts to become much more vocal in tackling it. There should be an assumption that any incident involving one or more people kicking another is aggravated assault or an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm. There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife. The judiciary has to send a signal that it understands that attacks of these kind have become almost fashionable in a sadistic manner, and impose sentences which may serve as a truly serious deterrent. Dalrymple describes those who engage in kicking as young men who are usually “angry, resentful, embittered and incapable of self-examination”. It is high time the police, the courts and society at large took this vile crime more seriously.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Hostage politics
In responding yesterday to the decline in overall crime but an increase in violent offences, David Blunkett declared: “We are going to target the areas of the country and those particular neighbourhoods where violent crime is causing and has caused concern.” As the Home Secretary appreciates, he also needs to target particular forms of violent criminal activity. While much attention has, understandably, been placed on gun crime, there is another area where focus should be directed. As Theodore Dalrymple’s analysis and Ian Richardson’s harrowing personal account in T2 today outline, the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon. The surge in such attacks is profoundly disturbing. During the 1990s, approximately 100 people a year died because of hitting and/or kicking. This was an appalling state of affairs but it was at least comparatively stable. But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
There are several elements of this atrocious situation that demand investigation and action. One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating. There is the strong sense, as Dalrymple argues, that this is a peculiarly British problem, but still no satisfactory explanation about why this might be. There is a theory that it is linked to alcohol consumption yet it is difficult to believe that drinking has increased by 60 per cent in a mere two years to produce a 60 per cent rise in hitting and kicking murders. There is a disturbing silence about this crime. It is also the task of the courts to become much more vocal in tackling it. There should be an assumption that any incident involving one or more people kicking another is aggravated assault or an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm. There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife. The judiciary has to send a signal that it understands that attacks of these kind have become almost fashionable in a sadistic manner, and impose sentences which may serve as a truly serious deterrent. Dalrymple describes those who engage in kicking as young men who are usually “angry, resentful, embittered and incapable of self-examination”. It is high time the police, the courts and society at large took this vile crime more seriously.
Bloody brits. Always puting the boot in
What a bunch of heels.
But in 2001-02, the total of these homicides rose to 146 persons and has now increased again for 2002-03 to 160 fatalities. To put these figures into perspective, more people are now killed by hitting or kicking than die from shooting or strangulation combined. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it is the deliberate act of kicking to death rather than the hitting aspect (although the two are often hard to separate) that is escalating.
We'll have to take everyone's feet, that'll make the world a safer place.
And those inbred Amish with the 6 fingers and toes that we studied in bio class are going to be in trouble now !!!!
"There is no reason to treat the use of the foot as any less potent a weapon as a blunt instrument or a knife."
If they would only start doing background checks at shoe stores, none of this would have to happen.
May God rest your sole.
More people are killed by incompetent doctors than by guns - I think we ought to outlaw doctors.
"the boot or shoe is becoming a more frequent and dangerous weapon."
"One is how little is known about this crime, who is committing it, why, and what can be done. The academic research is very modest and the number of police officers who could be described as experts in this field are very few indeed. The British Crime Survey, which interviews some 40,000 people to try to calculate the numbers of actual rather than recorded crimes, does not even inquire of respondents specifically if they have been the victim of this form of beating".
Maybe Dr. Scholl's could make foot control products. Or we could get the stem cell scientists to do something useful and genetically engineer babies without feet...then they would have to apply for a foot license when they are twenty-one.
License all feet, Brits!
And podiatrists only enable these murderous boot-thugs. They need to do a little sole-searching.
Silent? I don't think so. Kicks make a sort of thudding sound.
...and then there are the resulting grunts and groans.
Ambubate?! I say we ambubobulate!
Mandatory amputations will certainly follow if Great Britain applies the same distorted "logic" it did to firearms. (And gee, that sure as hell made England a lot safer, now didn't it?)
LOL!
How about a sandals, birkenstock, oropen toes policy.
Cowboy boots will require a special permit, and a 5 day waiting period.
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