Around here (Western Europe) violent crimes trigger fear and outrage, they make the news circuit for days, and many a politician demands stricter laws. They are

Around here (Western Europe) violent crimes trigger fear and outrage, they make the news circuit for days, and many a politician demands stricter laws. They are certainly acknowledged! If you (or anybody, really) files a charge with the police you can bet good money on the fact that it enters the statistics. For all the faults of modern bureaucracy, being sloppy is not one of them. They may be ineffectual but the paperwork is in order!