I’m already ready for the downvotes and hate, but I just want an answer to this question. I’ve tried the internet but can’t find anything. Why exactly are Swiss judges so soft when it comes to giving people genuine sentences?
I’m not talking about sentences for stealing food or an unpaid fine, but actual violent crime.
Today, a man from New Zealand got 33 months in jail (in the form of therapy) for trying to burn someone alive (murder). No expulsion from the territory. His Swiss mate who also took part only got 13 months.
Last week, two sisters from Vaud that have pleaded guilty to joining ISIS back in 2015 got 14 and 18 months in jail respectively. No expulsion for the non-Swiss of them.
I could find countless examples of Swiss judges giving ridiculous sentences to actual dangerous people, but why??? I completely understand people not getting excessively punished for things like weed possession or traffic violations, but joining a terrorist organization and attempted murder seem like a push to me.
https://old.reddit.com/r/Switzerland/comments/1d4dcdu/why_are_swiss_judges_so_weak_and_soft/
Posted by Wonderful_Setting195
13 Comments
Same same all across European countries.
Because we follow the law.
Because the press, yourself and any normal citizen doesn’t know about any priors or anything at all except the juicy details of those culprits smeared in the press.
A judge has the entire story, history and records of these people and should judge accordingly, not based on what the press and the public opinion thinks or supposedly knows.
If any judge would follow public opinion, then they would be biased and a lot of innocent people would be behind bars…
Because there’s little evidence that harsher penalties actually reduce crime.
It’s trivial but maybe not obvious: harder sentences do not help anyone.
Otherwise the death sentence should stop most criminals to risk getting one. Yet we see high crime rates in countries with the death penalty.
Social issues cause crime, poverty causes crime, being a young male without perspective causes crime. None of these can be solved by harder sentences.
Ok, since you asked for it, I downvoted.
Subjective sentiment with random examples won’t work when it comes to prove your point.
Whom excactly would harsher punishments help?
The kiwi was convicted for grievous bodily harm, not attempted murder. What’s the problem?
You can’t go by US standards where people get life for stealing golf clubs (CA 3 strikes law).
Because having to put people in prison is expensive. The state has to pay for every day they are in there. UThe people dont get prison sentences but have to pay money as punishment. Their crimes will be remembers though on some paper which makes it more and more difficult to find a job.
Another problems with judges in Switzerland is that they are elected by the legislature for a 6-year-term which makes them somewhat dependent.
I’m not sure why you want to throw ppl out of the country, but you do you.
I assume the judge follows the law, and they do have some wiggle room in the sentences.
I don’t know why you think 33 months of therapy are nothing. He will be locked away, have a lot of time to think, and he surely needs therapy.
I imagine the sisters joined ISIS under fals pretext, and given that they are women, they definitely didn’t participate in any form of combat. Most likely, they were given to some guy, had very limited freedom, and were mainly seen and “used” to increase the ranks for the future.
Unlike nations that resort to severe measures such as execution, torture, or mistreatment of convicted individuals, our approach involves humane confinement as a form of punishment.
As many said your view of how the justice system is guided by your emotions and not fact based. I hope you will thoroughly change your views after everyone is explaining it to you
Because here the sentences have more a preventing effect rather than a retribution one. And also it has to do with the Legalprognosis. That means the persons past convictions, social life and other factors are considered. But like i said the sanctions should have a preventing character.