Justice Minister: Misleading to attribute increase in crime to Penal Code Amendment

Less than three weeks after the most recent amendment to the Penal Code came into force, it is not possible to evaluate the effect of the amendment on the crime rate, so it is also inappropriate to talk about an increase in minor offences accompanying the change, said Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) at a press conference on Tuesday.

At the same time, the minister rejected statements by the media that the number of petty thefts in shops has increased since the amendment entered into force. "Such an analysis in such a short time since the bill came into force is absolutely misleading," Susko opined. In this vein, he noted that even a minor offence is still an illegal act for which the perpetrator is responsible. "They either have to compensate for the damage or they are sanctioned under the misdemeanour procedure," he pointed out.

The minister also lambasted statements that the amendment to the Penal Code will allow the release of "thousands" of convicts. According to him, the Justice Ministry should have access to relevant figures on how many prisoners will be affected by the amendment within a few weeks. "But it certainly won't be thousands, our estimate says it should be more or less up to 200 people," claimed Susko, adding that the group of convicts who could be set free via the amendment won't automatically include petty thieves. "Most of them have been convicted of concurrent crimes and offences, be they drug offences or robberies. Criminal liability does not lapse for these offences," he said.

The amendment to the Penal Code was approved by Parliament in February, entering into force in August. Among other moves, it has changed the limits of prison sentences and adjusted damage thresholds determining the severity of a criminal act. The amendment and its possible consequences were criticised by the opposition, which, in addition to the release of criminals, also warned of an increase in crime in connection with the increase in the minimum damage thresholds.

Source: TASR