A legal loophole that encourages murderers to acquire bladed weapons

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Talal Ghunaimat

Amman - What is known as the “Irbid crime” has brought to the fore again the talk about the use of bladed weapons in crimes in general, and murders in particular, as the perpetrator in that crime made his own sharp tool to stab a father and two of his sons. , which led to the death of the two sons and the injury of the father, while specialists believe that there is a legal loophole that encourages criminals to use white weapons, as the penalties for carrying them are less than firearms, in addition to the cost of the latter and the difficult conditions for their acquisition.

In their interview with Al-Ghad, these experts called for finding solutions to the entire criminal reality, regardless of the tool used in the crimes, adding that it is possible to intensify the penalties for the illegal possession and use of a sharp tool.

According to Article 155 of the Penal Code, ordinary pocket knives whose blade exceeds ten centimeters are considered weapons, unless they were originally intended for use in a profession, industry, or craft practiced or used by the bearer, or for domestic use, and he carried them with the aim of using them in those Craft, profession, industry, or for home use.

The term (knife) includes every tool other than a knife with a blade, whether it ends with a sharp tip or not.

In accordance with Article 156, whoever carries outside his home a prohibited weapon, one of the weapons mentioned in the previous article, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months and a fine of ten dinars maximum.

Anyone who carries firearms without a permit shall be punished, according to the same article, with imprisonment for up to half a year.

Sociology expert Dr. Hussein Al-Khuzaie warns against the widespread and easy use of white weapons in disputes, specifically by those with criminal records, as well as by young adolescents who resort to carrying this type of weapon; Because they believe that they may need it in an accident, while some of them hold it out of bragging thinking that it is a manly matter.

Al-Khuzaie also pointed out that the user of the knife may aim behind him to watch the victim while he is in pain physically and psychologically, and it is not a condition that he wants to kill him, stressing that the criminal thought of the perpetrator on the one hand, and the tools available to him on the other hand, is what determines The type of weapon he will use, meaning that the use of white weapons may be easier than firearms or automatic weapons, especially since their acquisition, possession and even use are much easier than firearms.

Al-Khuzai concluded his speech by emphasizing that the responsibility for getting rid of this phenomenon lies with the family and the environment in the first place, and the security services secondly, especially since the outposts in which these types of weapons are frequently used have become known to the specialized agencies, and their intervention can have a significant impact on Reduce this disturbing phenomenon.

Attorney Muhammad Walid agrees with what Al-Khuzai put forward, stressing that social responsibility precedes security responsibility, and also refers to the educational aspect and the importance of the role of the media in raising awareness of the dangers of carrying and using cold weapons.

While stressing the importance of tightening penalties with regard to the use of bladed weapons, Walid considered that the matter has become insignificant, as their use has come to dominate the use of firearms in recent periods.

As for the lawyer, Yazan al-Anaqra, he indicated that the majority of those who commit crimes, including those who use knives, are aware of the details of the judicial penalties for using these weapons, or the penalty for the harm caused by these weapons, and this may encourage them to use them during quarrels.

He added that the large discrepancy in the size of the penalty between carrying knives and firearms is an important reason for preferring the use of knives, especially in criminal categories and those with precedents. Because the repetition of their crimes has given them experience that enables them to know the punishment even before committing the crime. Rather, they carry out their attacks in a way that guarantees that they will not be subjected to severe punishment.

According to Al-Anaqra, the Penal Code does not include deterrent punitive articles for holders of white weapons, while Article 156 of the Penal Code punishes anyone who carries firearms without a license with imprisonment for a period that may reach half a year, stressing that this punishment becomes severe in the event Use of a firearm.

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