Dear Editor,

I am a resident of Brovary, and I read your article about mitigating punishments for young offenders. Mercy and clemency are good things but not for those muggers who rob grannies and young women on our dark streets. I believe there should be tougher punishments.

Teenage crime has been rising recently and not a day goes by that we don’t hear about shoplifting and vandalism in our town. Young wrongdoers are normally given fines but most people think young criminals should face the tougher consequences of their actions. This will also make young people think twice before committing a crime and even children will clearly understand that even a small crime results in punishment.

Young people who commit crimes need to understand they have done something wrong. After snatching earrings from the female ears and pickpocketing purses from the bags of senior women, they should suffer personally for their actions. For this reason, fines are not effective because parents usually pay them. When young offenders’ freedoms are under threat, only then they will feel the pain of their victims.

Some people believe that community service is the best punishment for young people, but I disagree. I do not believe in community services, such as working in parks or animal shelters, which is tough enough. If the punishment was a prison, teenagers would personally pay for their crimes and other teenagers would be deterred from committing them.

In short, I believe that the best way to tackle teenage crime is to introduce tougher punishments. In this way, the guilty get the punishment they deserve, and it acts as a warning to others. Mercy and clemency are good things but not for young muggers and robbers.