Banditry (article 257 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), robbery (article 187 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), extortion (article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and problems of the relationship between these crimes

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between banditry, robbery committed by an organized, armed group of people and extortion, and the main normative sources of domestic legislation. In addition, official statistics provided to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine were examined to assess the prevalence and risk of banditry. The author analyzes the features of the corpus delicti, their qualifications, and problematic issues in the application of this knowledge in the practice of law enforcement and judicial authorities. The articles cover certain aspects of robbery, such as burglary and violence or the threat of intrusion. Particular attention is paid to the main features of the gang, namely: the number of subjects of the crime; stability; armament; the general purpose of the group members; way of committing a crime. Parallels were drawn between banditry and robbery, especially in terms of armaments, distribution of tasks between accomplices, their relationship, subordination and provision of a plan for further criminal activity. In distinguishing between robbery and extortion, a characteristic difference was established in the time limits of violence or the threat of its use: in robbery, they are aimed at taking possession of property immediately at the time of their use; in extortion: actions that involve violence or the threat of its use, aimed at obtaining property, as well as the requirement to transfer property, combined with the threat to use violence against the victim or his close relatives in the future. Also the actions which are offered for qualification in actions of the person of signs of investigated structures of crimes are defined. The types of damage caused to victims are analyzed. Based on the study, the author concludes that banditry, robbery and extortion are different in their criminal law nature of crimes, which have their own unique features and differ significantly in the objects of encroachment, the objective parties, somewhat coinciding only object composition and subjective side.