Crime and punishment

Crime and punishment

Crime has been a growing problem all over the world in the last 30 years. Most crime is against property, not people. Most crimes are not carried out by professionals and are not carefully planned. Property crimes thrive on easy opportunities and are often committed by young people. There are many different types of crimes, but we can divide them into four main groups:

Minor offences

• Driving offences – illegal parking, speeding, driving through a red light.
• Shoplifting – stealing things from open shops.
• Petty theft – stealing small things from pockets or bags, for example purses, mobile phones, keys or documents.

Crime against property

• Arson – someone intentionally sets fire to somebody’s car, house or office.
• Burglary – someone breaks into a flat, office or closed shop and steals something.
• Hooliganism – fans, drunk people or demonstrators go through the street, damage cars, break windows, start fires, make noise and destroy public property.
• Robbery – stealing money from shops, banks, post offices or petrol stations.

Crime against people

• Assault – attacking someone and hurting him or her.
• Rape – a special type of assault, violent sex without consent.
• Blackmail – asking somebody for money, for example because of secret information about him or her which he or she does not want to make public.
• Kidnapping – taking someone prisoner and demanding money for his or her release.
• Mugging – attacking someone in the street and stealing from him or her.
• Manslaughter – killing someone unintentionally.
• Murder – intentional killing, often planned.

Economic crimes

• Fraud – borrowing money from someone and not returning it, or selling false things.
• Smuggling – importing or exporting things secretly, usually goods which are subject to duty.
• Forgery – making false documents, money, signatures or stamps.

There are also other, and often more dangerous, crimes, such as hijacking, terrorism or drug dealing.

Crime prevention

We can make life more difficult for thieves, for example by carrying our wallet in an inside pocket and not leaving our handbag out of sight. It is also important to lock doors and windows in cars or houses and to switch on the alarm.

Useful ways to prevent crime

• People should not leave valuable things visible in cars.
• They should lock their houses, flats and cars carefully.
• They should be careful in crowded places, especially with wallets, handbags and mobile phones.
• Parents and schools should teach young people about responsibility and the consequences of crime.
• Cities should have better lighting, more police patrols and security cameras in dangerous places.

Punishment

When someone breaks the law or commits a crime, he or she is caught by the police and arrested. The person usually calls for a barrister or a lawyer. The police look for evidence and investigate the accused person and witnesses.

When the police have good evidence, the criminal is prosecuted and comes to court. If he or she is found guilty, then in the case of minor offences he or she can get away with probation, a fine or community service. But in the case of serious crimes, someone can be sentenced to jail or life imprisonment. A convict can, of course, make an appeal.

Types of punishment

Type of punishment	Meaning	Example
A fine	Money paid as a punishment.	A driver can pay a fine for speeding.
Probation	The criminal stays free but must follow strict rules.	A young offender may get probation.
Community service	Unpaid work for the community.	The offender may clean public places.
Imprisonment	Being sent to prison.	A robber can be sentenced to prison.
Life imprisonment	Prison for the rest of someone’s life or for a very long time.	It can be used for murder.

Death penalty

Capital punishment has been used throughout history, although its methods and the crimes for which it is used have changed over the centuries. Today, the death penalty is used only in some countries, for example in the USA, China, some Arabian countries and some countries in south-east Asia.

Different opinions on the death penalty

People are divided into two groups – one group is for the death penalty, the second group is against it. The pro-hanging lobby uses four main arguments for the reintroduction of capital punishment.

Arguments for the death penalty

The first argument is the deterrence theory. It argues that potential murderers would think twice before committing the act if they knew they could be sentenced to death.

The next argument is public security. If the death penalty were reinstated, it would mean that a convicted murderer could not be set free after serving 20 years or less of a life sentence and be able to murder again.

The idea of retribution demands that criminals should get what they deserve. If a murderer intentionally sets out to commit a crime, he should accept the consequences. Retribution is supported by the religious doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

The fourth main pro-hanging argument is the most cold-blooded. It is that it makes economic sense to hang convicted murderers rather than keep them in prison wasting taxpayers’ money.

Arguments against the death penalty

The arguments against capital punishment are largely humanitarian. The main argument is that innocent people are sometimes wrongly convicted. While people can be released from prison, they cannot be brought back from the dead if they have been hanged.

The other reasons to oppose the death penalty are largely a matter of individual conscience and belief. One argument is that murder is murder and that the state has no more right to take a life than an individual person. Another argument is that Christianity teaches forgiveness, not revenge.

Short summary

Crime and punishment is an important topic because every society needs rules and laws. People who break the law should be punished, but the punishment should be fair. Minor offences can be punished by a fine, probation or community service, while serious crimes can lead to imprisonment or life imprisonment. The death penalty is one of the most controversial punishments because some people see it as justice, while others see it as inhuman and dangerous because innocent people can be wrongly convicted.

Crime and punishment

Stručný slovník pojmov

English term	Slovenský význam	Príklad vo vete
crime	zločin, trestný čin	Crime is a serious problem in many big cities.
criminal	zločinec, páchateľ	The criminal was arrested by the police.
victim	obeť	The victim reported the robbery immediately.
witness	svedok	The witness saw the accident from the bus stop.
suspect	podozrivý	The police questioned the main suspect.
evidence	dôkaz	There was not enough evidence to convict him.
trial	súdny proces	The trial lasted three weeks.
verdict	rozsudok, rozhodnutie súdu	The jury reached a guilty verdict.
sentence	trest, rozsudok	He received a prison sentence.
prison	väzenie	He was sent to prison for five years.

Najčastejšie druhy trestov

Type of punishment	Meaning	When it is used
a fine	pokuta	for minor offences, for example speeding or illegal parking
community service	verejnoprospešné práce	when the offender has to work for the community instead of going to prison
probation	podmienečný trest	when the criminal stays free but must follow strict rules
imprisonment	väzenie	for more serious crimes
life imprisonment	doživotné väzenie	for the most serious crimes, such as murder
capital punishment / death penalty	trest smrti	used only in some countries for the most serious crimes

Useful phrases for speaking

• In my opinion, crime should be punished strictly, but fairly.
• I believe that prevention is better than punishment.
• Many people think that prisons should not only punish criminals, but also help them change.
• On the one hand, strict punishments can discourage criminals.
• On the other hand, some people commit crimes because of poverty, addiction or bad social conditions.
• As far as I am concerned, the death penalty is a very controversial issue.
• The main advantage is that dangerous criminals cannot hurt other people again.
• The main disadvantage is that innocent people can be wrongly convicted.

Important difference: crime, offence, criminal and punishment

Crime is an illegal act, for example murder, robbery or burglary. Offence is usually a less serious illegal act, for example speeding or illegal parking. Criminal is a person who commits a crime. Punishment is what a criminal receives after being found guilty.

Crime prevention

Crime prevention means trying to stop crime before it happens. It is important not only for the police, but also for ordinary people, schools, parents and the whole society.

• People should lock their doors, cars and windows.
• They should not leave valuable things visible in a car.
• They should be careful with wallets, mobile phones and handbags in crowded places.
• Schools should teach young people about responsibility and consequences of crime.
• Cities should have good lighting, cameras in dangerous areas and more police patrols.
• Society should help poor families and young people, because social problems can sometimes lead to crime.

Modern forms of crime

In the past, people mainly spoke about robbery, burglary or murder. Today, crime also exists on the internet. Cybercrime is becoming more common because people spend a lot of time online and use internet banking, social networks and online shops.

Modern crime	Meaning
cybercrime	crime committed through computers or the internet
identity theft	stealing someone’s personal information
online fraud	tricking people on the internet to get money from them
hacking	breaking into a computer system illegally
phishing	sending fake emails or messages to steal passwords or bank details

Death penalty – updated note

It is not completely accurate to say that the death penalty is used only in the USA, China, Arabian countries and south-east Asia. According to Amnesty International, more than two-thirds of countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, but 54 countries still retained it as of the end of 2024. Amnesty International also recorded 1,518 executions in 2024, while thousands more were believed to have taken place in China, where the numbers are classified.

Arguments for and against the death penalty

Arguments for	Arguments against
It may discourage people from committing serious crimes.	Innocent people can be wrongly convicted.
It protects society from dangerous murderers.	A wrong execution cannot be corrected.
Some people believe murderers deserve the strongest punishment.	Many people believe the state should not take human life.
It can be seen as justice for victims and their families.	It does not always reduce crime more effectively than life imprisonment.

Short speaking answer – sample

Crime and punishment is a very important topic because every society needs laws and rules. Without laws, people would not feel safe. There are many types of crime, for example theft, robbery, burglary, assault, murder, smuggling or cybercrime. Some crimes are less serious, such as illegal parking or speeding, but others can destroy people’s lives.

When a person commits a crime, the police investigate the case, collect evidence and question witnesses. If there is enough evidence, the suspect is taken to court. If the person is found guilty, he or she can be punished. The punishment depends on the seriousness of the crime. Minor offences are usually punished by a fine, probation or community service. Serious crimes can lead to imprisonment or even life imprisonment.

In my opinion, punishment should be fair. Criminals should be punished, but prisons should also try to help them become better people. I think that prevention is very important too. Young people should learn that crime has serious consequences, and society should help people who are in difficult situations.

The death penalty is one of the most controversial punishments. Some people support it because they believe it protects society and gives justice to victims. However, I am more against it because innocent people can be wrongly convicted, and after an execution it is impossible to correct the mistake.