Call to Expose the ‘Untouchables’ Behind White-Collar Crime

According to a prominent criminologist, Edwin Sutherland (1940), crime statistics historically show that people from lower-income backgrounds commit more crimes than those in the upper class.

Less than 2% of inmates come from privileged social groups, according to these stats.

He argued this was largely because criminal laws were initially designed to control the lower classes.

However, as crime patterns have evolved, this interpretation has increasingly been challenged by scholars.

The notion that poor people are more likely to commit crimes or end up in prison remains a matter of ongoing debate.

Sutherland also described white-collar crime as including acts such as financial misrepresentation, manipulation, bribery of public officials, and abuse of power.

He, along with later researchers like Shover and Hochstetler (2006), identified white-collar criminals as men and women who enjoy various forms of privilege.

In plain terms, these are the ‘spoilt privileged’ – individuals who already have the means to survive but are driven by greed to want more and more.

In many cases today, those committing white-collar crimes remain ‘untouchable’ and rarely face jail time, as they often have the financial means to manipulate outcomes and escape justice. As a result, crime statistics tend to reflect only the crimes committed by the lower classes.

White-collar crime is so deeply embedded and organised that perpetrators can easily evade the law, drawing on connections among board members, politicians, local authorities, judges, magistrates, lawyers, church leaders, and others.

My sincere appeal is for those entrusted with upholding the rule of law not to allow themselves to be compromised under any circumstances.

They must honour their oath and serve the nation with humility, dignity and respect.

– Lauren Amakali

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