Should crimes in the past simply be forgotten?

My answer is a definite "no". We do not simply forget past crimes the same reason why we learn history – we learn history so that we will not repeat the same mistakes. Just because the crimes have happened in the past, it does not mean that they have no relevance or value to the present.

Firstly, studying past crimes allows us to prevent similar ones from happening in the future. By analyzing the cause of the crimes, we can learn to step up relevant measures to counter them. One such example can be seen from the 2005 London bombs blast. This crime of terrorism killed 52 people and injured 700 others, while disrupting the lives of many others. These alarming effects then brought about determination from all Londoners to prevent a similar crime from happening and now London is prepared to counter terrorism. In 2007, two car bombs were discovered and disabled before they could be detonated, thereby successfully curbing another attempt in terrorism.

Secondly, we cannot simply forget past crimes because all criminals should be punished, in some way or others, to act as a form of deterrence, convincing people to steer away from crimes. This involves recidivism on the part of the criminals, and preventing others from following the footsteps of them. This can be seen from how Singapore has kept its crime rate low in comparison to other countries. One such example is the fall in the number of new drug abusers in Singapore – 204 new abusers were arrested in Jan to Jun 2007 as compared to 278 arrested in the same period last year.

In conclusion, it is important for us to learn from crimes in the past, be it as the police force to set up countering measures or as the general public to not commit similar crimes or even as the offender himself to turn over a new leaf.

Reference:
"The philosophy of Crime Sentencing" from AJC reading package.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_July_2005_London_bombings
http://www.cnb.gov.sg/drugs/index.asp?name=Drug%20Situation%20Report%20Jan%20-%20Jun%202007&type=Drug%20Situation%20Report