Arson

• There were 123,000 arson offenses reported between 2001-2003. (Law & Justice Foundation Survey 2003).
• The estimated number of arrests for arson during the survey period was 76,800 (Ibid).
  The average monetary value of property damaged due to arson was Rs.10,000 per incident in 2003 (Ibid).
• The estimated number of civilian fire deaths resulting from suspicious origins during the period was 11970 .
  

Overview

Hundreds of lives are lost each year in arson-related fires, and thousands suffer burns and other injuries as a result of these crimes. In addition, arson is very financially costly to our society.

The Indian Penal Code defines arson as any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling, house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc. Only fires determined through investigation to have been willfully or maliciously set are classified as arsons. The main motivations for committing arson tend to fall under the categories of vandalism, excitement, revenge, crime concealment, profit and extremist:

Vandalism-motivated arson is typically committed by male juveniles who have completed seven to nine years of school. The crime tends to occur spontaneously and is often done by groups. Frequently, entry is gained through force, such as through a window, and the fire is started with materials present at the scene.

The excitement-motivated arsonist starts fires to satisfy a craving for excitement. These fires rarely harm people. In some cases of deserted structures, volunteer firefighters and "firebuffs may be culprits. Slightly older than the vandal, this arsonist tends to have completed ten or more years of school, but generally still lives with one or more parents. He tends to be socially inadequate and has a police record of nuisances.

Revenge-motivated arson is done in retaliation for some wrong done against the arsonist, real or imagined, by society, a person or group of persons, or some establishment. It may be a well-planned, single occurrence or a serial arsonist taking revenge on society with little or no planning. The victim of this type of arson usually has a history of conflicts with the perpetrator, and hate arson tends to be inter-caste . Females tend to target personal possessions, as do romanitcally slighted revenge-takers. Females tend to use readily accessible flammable, while men prefer molotov cocktails and/or excessive ammounts of accelerant.

In crime concealment-motivated arson, the fire may be used to destroy bodies, forensic evidence, records, or to distract from the real crime (such as in burglary). The perpetrator commonly uses alcohol or drugs and usually has a history of police or fire department contacts or arrests. In the case of murder-concealment, a liquid accelerant is often used, and the crime tends to be disorganized.

The purpose of profit-motivated arson is to achieve monetary gain. This category includes fraud, employment and competition. One of the most commonly heard of is insurance fraud. These fires tend to be more sophisticated with less physical evidence and more complex fire-starting devices. Frequently, the offender is hired, leaves the crime scene and does not return.

Extremist-motivated arson is done to further a cause. Categories such as terrorism, riots and discrimination fall under this distinction. The target usually represents the antithesis of the offender's belief. It is usually organized, planned and done in groups. Explosive devices such as molotov cocktails are commonly used. The offender is often readily identified with the cause or group behind this crime.

Whether it is done for profit or protest, arson is so easy to commit, and the offenders are so hard to apprehend or convict, that little progress is being made to control the problem. Although many arson crimes are profit-motivated, research shows that the number of child firesetters is on the rise. Almost half (56%) of those arrested for the crime of arson in 2003 were under the age of 18 (Law & Justice Foundation Survey 2003). Firesetting by both adults and children can be the result of pathological behaviors, including some classified as pyromania -- the inability to resist impulses to set fires. Much progress has been made in detecting and treating such pathological behaviors related to firesetting.