Oh, that makes me angry

There are too many stories in the news of burglars breaking into the houses of the very elderly, imprisonong them, battering them, and in some cases torturing them. We all get older and may have to face this happening to us at some time. There was quite a lot of kerfuffle in the media a few years back about victims not being legally allowed to defend their homes and families, facing criminal charges for doing so. This was vaguely resolved with a ruling that people could use reasonable force. We could do with reviewing and clarifying this, I would like to think that if I was ever in that 'victim' position, I could feel legally free to smash their skulls in with a hammer, if I could find the strength.  

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/102938/masked-burglars-frogmarch-80yearold-man-around-his-house-for-cash

P.S. Calmed down a bit now, but the problem of how the elderly are treated in our society hasn't gone away, and is very much an issue of the times we live in. Society seemed to come to a sudden realisation of the extent to which children were being attacked by paedophiles, Saville case etc, and there have been attempts to protect children. Looks like a similar thing with attacks on the elderly. We could do with a label for such elderly-attacking people.

The normal descriptive words such as might spring to mind are perhaps too general. Until such time as society can sort something out, it should be accepted by the courts, the police and everyone in general that the elderly have a right and a duty to protect themselves, and in light of their frailty, using whatever methods, devices and weapons may be available to them, against those perverted and sad individuals who, attracted by apparent frailty, choose to attack them.

Cases where burglars invading the homes of the eldely are electrocuted, strangled by hidden wires, impaled or crippled by electronically controlled mechanisms should be regarded as a good result, and those elderly people who sucessfully defend themselves given good citizen awards.

All well and good - until the old codger forgets he has turned on the electric garotte and does himself in by accident. You cannot trust old people with dangerous toys.

A fair point, but what's worse, allowing evil people to have their way, or, some random violence? We shouldn't be having to make that choice. A few well publicised cases of burglars who terrorise and torture the elderly being ripped apart might act as a deterrent. if society can so be returned to a more peaceful way of going on, everyone would feel safer. Certainly the very elderly should feel the law is decidedly on their side to defend themselves.

If we have to choose between psychopathic criminals, or old age pensioners being armed and dangerous, which should it be?

Fair play dictates the latter. Perhaps the sanctions should be changed. If caught and proven guilty of terrorising and harming the over 60s they go to a special prison where the warders are all over 60 and who are given carte-blanche to keep them in chains and beat them regularly twice a day for the duration of sentence. I think that might just get through to them don't you?