Public prosecutor wants to settle more cases out of court
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The public prosecution department is planning to expand its use of out-of-court settlements in an effort to reduce the number of cases coming before the courts.
The new policy will focus on what the department calls “common crimes” by adults, with a maximum jail term of six years, such as theft and vandalism.
Some 80% of court cases end up with a sentence of a couple of months, said Rinus Otte, chairman of the prosecutors council in a long statement on the department website.
“The department wants to handle more cases and serve more victims,” he said. By dealing with less serious crimes, “there will be time for more hearings covering serious cases,” he said.
The result will mean fewer prison sentences, because they can only be ordered by a judge, although the department can issue fines and community service sentences.
“Not everyone regards prison as a tougher sentence than community service,” Otte said. “It is easy to shout that a punishment is too light, but what really matters is how the criminal views it, and how it is carried out.”
What ever the punishment, people will have a criminal record which will affect the rest of their lives, he said.
In 2021, the national ombudsman and other critics claimed the public prosecution department was short-changing victims by settling so many cases out of court during the coronavirus pandemic.
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