As a bad amateur naturalist I was interested to read about a novel piece of restorative justice involving a pair of swans.
No, they haven't been nicking each other's bread (which offers them few nutrients in any case) or breaking into each other's nests and making off with some weed (that's pond weed). Au contraire, they have been the victims.
A couple of teenage numptyheads (human, of course) in Surrey thought it smart to throw stones and rocks at two of the birds at Earlswood Lakes near Redhill, Surrey. And, as proof of their numptyheadedness, they posted images of themselves doing so on YouTube.
If only other miscreants were so willing to hand themselves in so easily.
The point is, the mute swans are considered to be the property of the Crown, which makes any attack on them criminal damage.
But PC Jo Morris, Mole (honest) Valley's rural affairs officer who tracked the boys, told BBC News that, rather than send them through the courts and give them a criminal record, she would allow the boys the option of some dirty work at Shepperton Swan Sanctuary. Some slopping out, shall we say.
But there would also be an educational aspect, as the sanctuary staff would teach the teenage boys about the birds.
Who knows whether the boys will ever re-offend. But surely this is a better way forward for low-level crimes, particularly those involving young offenders, than criminalising them for life and risk building resentment that could manifest itself in more serious ways.
Leave a comment