Peru’s government has implemented tough measures against cell phone theft, including the potential for life imprisonment in cases resulting in a victim’s death.

Recently approved by Congress, these adjustments to the country’s penal code went into effect on Thursday. The primary goal is to combat the growing issue of mobile device theft nationwide.

The main reason for doing so seems to deter the number of mobile thefts as it escalated to more than 4,000 devices a day.

I lived for 5 years in Peru and I once witnessed a thief jump up on the side of a slow moving bus and through the window, snatch the phone off a lady who was on a call. I did not like Lima any more after that.

I tried to find other explanations behind this implementation measure but I could not. Unfortunately, the only aim seems to be to discourage and frighten thieves in committing such a crime. I feel that this is a minor motive and I would like to augment other causes for higher punishments for those who steal mobile phones and I am sure that many will agree.

A mobile phone is not just a phone but it is a bank of personal data operating multiple operatives.

Today one purchases on line, sells, invests, pay with digital wallet, operates his Smart Home, check on his door bell, his children and elderly through his cameras, be reminded to take his medicine, go for appointments, pay his bills on time, check his Health, register his daily walks and so many more important functions.

There are also many Apps, personally set up to support the owner of the mobile. Often many programmes are not protected by a password like emails, messenger or Whatsapp. Thieves can easily get in the primary security screen lock.

Stealing the mobile from a person nowadays is like stealing a CPA (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine or a wheel chair or a Ventilator/Breathing machine. The mobile is not just a phone but it is a bank of delicate, personal information or data. Stealing a mobile is like stealing the life out of a person!

Apart from theft the mobile can also be broken especially the screen. I mention this through personal experience.

The creation of automobiles produced the need of mechanics, same with mobiles which created technicians. Imagine trusting your care in a make shift garage or trusting your CPA to an unprofessional technician?

I took my bleeding screen phone to a shop who advertise ‘the mending of phone screens’ they charged me €90.00 and the phone acquired a brand new look, but which lasted only some hours because it started to bleed again, until in a day it became totally black.

I took it back of course and the technician said that he cannot find spare parts in the whole of Malta.

My friends told me ‘buy a new mobile’ I can buy 10 new mobiles but how am I going to get my apps uploaded from a murdered phone, murdered by the so called technician.

The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority gave me some recommendations how to be refunded my €90.00 within 7 days if they do not fix it.

What does it mean? I did not buy a toaster and returned it and got my money back! That would have been OK but dealing with mobile phones should be given a more serious standing. So the law protects me in getting my €90.00 back and my annihilated phone.

I took it to be fixed in a shop licenced to fix and I end up finding that he has licence to kill.

Fixing a delicate and such an important machine should be handled by professional and licenced technicians because no amount of reimbursed money or a new phone is going to suffice for the loss of the data one has built during the years on his personal phone memory.

As the government rightly is to introduce the Skills Card, I believe that these technicians dealing with mobiles should also be regulated.

Anthony Zammit,

Gozo.

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