When a crime is committed, who bears criminal responsibility?
Certainly the person who actually committed the crime. But the law also holds others responsible, including those who “aided and abetted” the commission of the crime. For a simple example, take the case of the bank robber. We all know that the “getaway” man sitting outside in the car is responsible for the robbery, but who else is responsible? Under the law of “aiding and abetting,” anyone who, with knowledge of the unlawful purpose of the perpetrator, aids, promotes, encourages or instigates the commission of a crime, with the intent to do so, bears criminal responsibility as well. This means that if someone loaned his car to the bank robber, knowing that it was to be used in a robbery, and intending to facilitate the robbery, that person would be equally responsible for that crime.
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