Technological advancements, apparently, have both plus and minus points. Its negative aspects spread rapidly through satellite TV programs like wildfire, particularly now that the world has been reduced to a global village.
Any antisocial practice seen in movies or in these TV programs is being copied by youths , who are either gullible or of criminal bent of mind. And gradually and unknowingly the practice is woven into the social fabric.
The horrible acts committed by a Riyadh gang, which robbed and raped, for instance, was evidently the end product of the continuous exposure to TV programs clearly depicting how crimes could be committed without being detected.
The youth are enticed by crime thrillers and learn from the movies and TV programs on how a novel plan, that would not detected by the police, to commit a crime could be laid down.
No crime, however, goes unpunished though on occasions there may be some delay in the perpetrators being caught. However, the crime that has been committed causes a lot of agony and misery, directly or indirectly, to many and this cannot be brushed aside.
The Riyadh police deserve commendation for busting this particular gang and arresting its members. The arrested youth acknowledged that they were fascinated and obsessed with the idea of committing this type of crime after viewing scenes of robbery and rape in movies on a satellite channel.
The method of picking the victim, chalking out a foolproof plan and also clues of how not to leave any evidence of their presence were all clearly described in the film.
The gang did the job very professionally the first time round and this gave them the confidence and the bravado that they could repeat the act without being detected.
But soon the police tracked them down and caught them. The gang consisted of four members and their leader was unemployed.
The leader was the mastermind of the whole operation. He would patiently scan the neighborhoods for a house to break into and study the location and the house in addition to the habits of the husband and wife living in that house and, the times when the children went to school and returned.
Next he would lay down a plan of action including the escape route and also possible changes in the plan following unexpected developments.
They would begin their criminal activity shortly after the head of the family left for office and the children went to school making sure that the woman was alone at home.
After breaking into the house the leader would overpower and rape the woman at gun point while the others set out to plunder the valuables and flee. The team did not leave behind any clues that police could follow.
Invaraibly their repeated successes must have given them a sense of confidence that must have eventually led to their downfall. For in their overconfidence they might have left behind traces of evidences that could have been helpful to the Riyadh police, whose patience eventually paid off. Also the criminals, and those who take this route in life, must have realized that their crimes eventually catches up with them and that crime does not pay.
Such criminals should be meted out punishments so severe that no other youth is tempted to commit similar crimes.
Husbands leaving their wives alone at home should see that steps are taken to block easy access by criminals to the house.