Sunday 15 February 2015

Copenhagen: again the desperate lone wolf

The killings in Copenhagen have shown again that the “lone wolf” has become a significant danger in our societies. This type of solitary killer is basically a younger person who has had serious problems of social integration. He – or she – might also have spent some time in the petty crime circles, with eventually some time served in prison. The killing spree is some kind of swan song. The last expression of a desperation. 

The Copenhagen drama has also shown that such actions are very difficult to prevent. A country can have the best police services in the world, the best integration systems, the best social security schemes, and still be vulnerable to these acts. We have to learn to live with a certain degree of insecurity. And protect the possible targets, as the Danes did, the best we can.

These are complex matters. They are above all criminal acts that are practiced by criminal minds with a strong dose of madness. It would be a very serious mistake to link them just to a community of citizens and put some generalized blame on such community. We condemn the killings, we condemn the perpetrator and we add, the responsibility rests clearly with him.  

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