Citizens will enforce law and order themselves

Post-traumatic stress often results not from being the victim of an horrific incident but rather when something negative happens to you, you feel powerless to do anything. That’s the story for most victims of crime in this country.

Robbers are often armed and quite prepared to kill to get what they want. Victims are often unarmed and afraid to fight back.

WATCH: Gatvol robbery victim runs over thief

Even once a violent crime is over, a victim feels even more powerless when they see the lack of energy or competence with which the cops pursue most cases.

So, when we victims of crime – and that is most of us – see a smash and grab robbery target chasing and running down one of her robbers, the instinct is to cheer.

Many people did on social media this week after a woman in Durban did just that. Others, however, cautioned that such excessive force left her open to charges of attempted murder. She was legally not allowed to do what she did, the argument ran.

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And, although if it wasn’t for her action, the perpetrator would never have been arrested, what she did is vigilante justice. However, in a society where law and order has broken down, citizens will enforce it themselves.