From house break-ins to hijackings and robberies.
Read: Warning: hijackings on the rise
How well do you understand crime definitions?
Here is a short explanation of common law offences, supplied by the South African Police Service.
• Public indecency
Intentionally and publicly engaging in conduct which tends to deprave the morals of others or which outrages the public’s sense of decency.
Urinating in public: EMPD speaks up
• Public violence
Public violence is the intentional commission, together with a number of people, of acts which assume serious dimensions and which are intended to forcibly disturb public peace and tranquility or to invade the rights of others.
Twelve arrested as protest turns violent
• Rape
Intentional or forced sexual intercourse with a person against their will or without their consent.
• Robbery
Theft of property by using violence or threats of violence to induce submission to taking from another person.
Man’s (73) throat slit during robbery
Robbers attack business owners in CBDhttps://t.co/tAdoYQL20A@SpringsJournOne @SpringsJournTwo @SAPoliceService #Robbery pic.twitter.com/7E1RsfAs3S
— Springs Advertiser (@SpringsNews) September 29, 2016
• Theft
Taking moveable property belonging to another with the intent to deprive the owner of it permanently.
Police warn about motorbike theft
• Abduction
This occurs when a minor is unlawfully taken out of the control of their parent or guardian with the intention of enabling someone to marry or have sexual intercourse with the minor in question.
Team bringing ‘abducted’ SA teens back from Malawi
• Arson
When someone unlawfully and intentionally sets fire to immovable property which belongs to someone else.
Man burns to death in shack fire
• Assault
Unlawfully and intentionally using force against another person or making the person believe that force will be used against them by threatening to use force.
Marais family traumatised after assault
• Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
This is another form of assault committed with the intention to cause serious bodily injury.
Innocent man brutally attacked by more than six men
• Bestiality
This consists of unlawful and intentional sexual intercourse between a human and an animal.
• Bigamy
Intentionally entering into a lawful marriage ceremony with a person while being legally married to another.
• Culpable Homicide
This occurs in the event of killing another human being.
Springs rates top five for murder
BREAKING: Learner found murdered near railway linehttps://t.co/xKNjDYkNZL @SpringsJournOne @SpringsJournTwo #Springs #SpringsCrime pic.twitter.com/1kg8tYgdll
— Springs Advertiser (@SpringsNews) September 30, 2016
• Defamation
The unlawful and intentional publication of information or photos that damage another person’s reputation. This can be any public platform such as social media.
Be careful – defamation on social media can cost you
• Exposing an infant
This crime takes place when an infant is abandoned and exposed in a place or circumstance that the infant’s death is likely to result from the exposure.
Durban resident abandons child in Geduld
• Extortion
Taking from another for personal advantage by subjecting a person to pressure which forces them to submit to the taking.
• Fraud
This crime is when someone creates a misrepresentation which causes actual or potential prejudice to another.
Metro warns against fraudsters
• House break-in with intent to commit a crime
This consists of breaking into and entering a building or structure with the intention of committing a crime inside.
Domestic worker’s scream warns man of break-in
• Indecent assault
When someone intentionally assaults, touches or holds another in circumstances in which the act or intention is indecent.
• Kidnapping
Depriving a person of his or her freedom of movement, in the case of a child, depriving him or her from their parent or guardian’s control.
Narrow escape for kidnapped woman
#ICYMI
19-year-old miraculously escapes her kidnappers #Springshttps://t.co/2skHnB6Tqe @SpringsJournOne @SpringsJournTwo pic.twitter.com/hZfSnBmqzW— Springs Advertiser (@SpringsNews) September 23, 2016
• Malicious injury to property
Damaging the property of another.
What crimes do you think should be added to the list?
What’s scary is that most of these crimes and others, have happened repeatedly in and around Springs.
Let us know on WhatsApp (079 408 9334) or Facebook.
