Many of us feel helpless in this country, where we seem to be losing the war against crime on a daily basis.

Everyday we open the papers and read countless stories on crime. Even our “Government” has admitted that “The situation is sometimes so overwhelming that we don’t know what to do about crime.”

The SAPS do a good job with the resources they are given, but capacity-wise, there is just not enough cops and detectives on the beat.

We are basically at “system-overload” right now.

Criminals are just getting the better of us.

So what do we do?

Do we fight back?

I would usually say, “Yes, of course” - given that we are in the constraints of the law.

However, after reading an article on News24, I am beginning to think otherwise.

It seems that innocent victims of crime are less important than those “precious darling criminals” we have out there.

Don’t believe me?

Well, Stefan Kloppers has learnt this lesson - the hard way.

In July, Kloppers, rushed to help a woman, tackling a thief who had stolen her cellphone.

But now this hero is being charged with assault with the intention of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Kloppers had that night been having dinner with friends at a restaurant in Hatfield. They were on their way to his car when they saw an informal parking guard harass the woman.

"I thought he wanted money and walked on. Suddenly the woman yelled and said he had her cellphone. I chased after him and tackled him like I did at school when I was playing rugby," said Kloppers.

He took the phone from the man's hand and gave it back to the woman. "He didn't argue," said Kloppers.

He got into his car and while leaving the parking area, he was stopped by five security guards who told him to stay there as they had seen "exactly" what had happened.

Police were called and Kloppers was taken to the police station where he thought he would make a statement about the incident. Instead he was arrested. He was held for two days in a police cell before he was released on bail.

Kloppers is being prosecuted even though police have still not taken a statement from the "victim", the suspected thief. Police have also not arrested the suspected thief for stealing the phone.

Yes, you read that right. The alleged criminal hasn’t even laid charges against Stefan, and yet he is up for trial.

I am sure Stefan just wants this whole thing to go away. However, the case has been postponed once again because the court needs a statement from the alleged thief on the assault.

Imagine the legal costs – and all for helping a woman get her cellphone back!

And why are we wasting valuable court time on this?

A “large percentage” of the 2 million crimes reported each year is never solved due to a severe lack of detectives, forensic experts and resources. 655,000 cases were last year thrown out of court chiefly due to lack of evidence.

But this case however, it is of national importance. Stefan is a dangerous criminal. (Please note sarcasm)

Even more infuriating is that when the court was told that the so-called victim was also a suspected thief, Magistrate Christopher Chokwe said, "When someone steals your phone, you don't attack him. You call the police."

Well, the thief will be long gone by then I would say!

In February, President Mbeki told the nation that “We need to mobilise the public for a massive onslaught on crime and corruption.”

Well, I think he needs to clarify this.

What will be next? If I am being dragged into a car by a group of men, can no one come to my aid in case they might scratch or bruise one of my attackers? Can we never come to the defence of others?

Kloppers certainly won’t be helping anyone soon. After this ordeal he has told the media that he will “Never again will I help a victim of crime in SA.”

Can you blame him?