Aggravated burglary is termed to be a burglary that is compounded due to the use of a weapon in the burglary. Usually burglars will not have any weapons while doing the act and will only have tools that will help them in burglary. But there are a few burglars who tend to use weapons during burglary and there have been many cases where the weapon has been used to harm the victims of the burglary. As per law, the presence of a weapon during burglary is enough to term it an aggravated burglary and the weapon need not be necessarily used by the burglar during or after the burglary. Aggravated burglary is considered as a much more serious offence by almost all countries and therefore such burglaries will have higher penalties when convicted.
Any type of weapon can be used during an aggravated burglary and there have been occasions where burglars have used imitation guns to scare people and have been convicted for aggravated burglary. Even the use of imitation guns is enough for the burglary to be termed as aggravated burglary and the weapon need not be discharged or used. Anything that can be used to injure a person is considered to be a weapon and even household articles or tools can be used in an aggravated burglary. The sentence for aggravated burglary will differ from one state to the other and from one country to the other, but the sentence is higher than a normal burglary.
Victims of burglaries especially aggravated burglaries can suffer from many issues post the incident and the effects can be physical, emotional and financial. In aggravated burglary, the possibility of physical trauma is a lot more as there is a weapon that is involved in the burglary and that will complicate the situation. The weapon can be used to injure the victim or can even cause serious injury that can lead to the death of the victim. There have been many cases where aggravated burglary has led to homicide.
The financial loss that is suffered by the victim can be compensated to an extent if the victim has insurance for the valuables, but the emotional trauma that is suffered by the victim during aggravated burglary is something that is sometimes to heal. The victim may develop anxiety, fear and restlessness which can deeply affect the way the person interacts with others and the sense of security and safety may be lost by the victim. Such victims may not feel safe even while in a home that is secured and may go through difficult emotional phases that can affect them psychologically. Victims of aggravated burglary have also known to feel guilt after the incident and may have a constant fear of being attacked again. Victims of crime who experience such symptoms should seek professional help to prevent symptoms from potentially deteriorated and impairing the victim’s quality of life.
If you have been the victim of an aggravated burglary or other serious crime contact Victims of Crime Compensation & Counselling Services for immediate and professional assistance on 1800 000 055 or make an enquiry now at www.victimsofcrime.com.au or email: support@victimsofcrime.com.au
About the author