Sentence for theft - 200 hours of community service

Secret property theft (larceny) is currently the most common type of crime in our country. Secret property theft is the intentional unlawful gratuitous appropriation of another's property or right to property for mercenary motives by means of larceny. According to official statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the number of larcenies in Belarus is gradually decreasing. Nevertheless, 37,121 cases of larceny were registered last year, which is a rather significant figure.

Most of these crimes are committed for the purpose of quick enrichment. Perpetrators in this category of cases are mainly unemployed individuals leading an antisocial lifestyle and abusing alcoholic beverages. Such people are often characterized by a dismissive attitude towards the property of others; for them, it is an opportunity to earn some money, nothing more. The greatest concern for such individuals is not public condemnation and moral norms, but the criminal liability provided for property theft.

Criminal liability under Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus arises when secret property theft from an individual in the amount exceeding 2 base units (which is 46 de-nominated Belarusian rubles) and from a legal entity in the amount exceeding 10 base units (230 de-nominated Belarusian rubles) is committed. The range of punishments for secret property theft, depending on the severity of the committed crime, is quite broad – from community service to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

There are numerous examples of theft. Sometimes, not only the shortsightedness of criminals is surprising, but also the small amount of loot for which they took such risks.

Thus, Artyom, a native of Vitebsk, born in 1990 (name changed by the author), unemployed, with no prior convictions, while intoxicated, being in a passenger train car, secretly stole men's sneakers worth 450 thousand de-nominated Belarusian rubles (at the time of the crime, this amount exceeded 2 base units, so the person was subject to criminal liability), after which

left the scene of the incident, and disposed of the stolen property at his own discretion. The accused fully admitted his guilt and repented of his actions. By the sentence of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Vitebsk, Arkady was sentenced to 200 hours of community service. This is neither the most severe nor the lightest punishment for his unlawful actions.

Assistant to the Vitebsk Transport Prosecutor
Junior Justice Counselor V.O. Shevernovskaya.