This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Any COVID-19 related crime to be considered an aggravated offence
Individuals and criminal gangs are specifically exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to commit crime affecting individuals, communities and businesses who are already exceptionally vulnerable. This should be considered as an aggravated factor with increased sentencing & powers.
More details
COVID-19 measures in place for the protection of lives have be specifically exploited by criminals. Examples include theft of deliveries left on doorsteps, theft of hand sanitiser from hospitals, nurses robbed of their lanyards to provide access to NHS benefits, fraudulent websites regarding benefit support, counterfeit test kits. Victims are already in fear and vulnerable. An aggravated offence provides extra powers and increased sentencing and COVID-19 linked offences should be included.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
Aggravated offences are specific offences set out in law, not a process through which the courts can increase sentences for any offence. Decisions about how to charge and prosecute people who commit offences are a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or Parliament.
The Government has already created a number of new offences in relation to coronavirus, but you could start a petition calling on the Government to create new offences, or increase penalties for existing offences during the coronavirus outbreak.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.