Any COVID-19 related crime to be considered an aggravated offence

Rejected 13 signatures

What the petition asks

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.

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.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

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/

Timeline

27 Mar 2020	Petition opened for signatures
12 May 2020	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 13

Status Rejected

Rejected 12 May 2020

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