Dear H***** H****,

 

You don't know me. You've never met me, and I hope for your sake that you never do.

But I've got good reason to think that you're the person who stole from my car one night as I slept.

Unluckily for you, you got caught in the same area that I live, stealing from cars, and leaving them the way that mine was left after the theft. Maybe it's a coincidence, but somehow I don't think so.

You probably don't care to know, or even think about, how devastating the theft was to me. As a uni student, to have a bag stolen from me which contained my uni diary, some assignments and paperwork, a USB with all my uni work on it, my new prescription glasses that I'd just paid $150 dollars for, and used my health insurance allowance for the year on … I can't even tell you how upsetting it was. All that stuff is useless to anyone else. There's nothing of value that you could sell. But it was so distressing to me. Knowing that I'd have to somehow find the money to replace my glasses, paying the full $300 out of pocket as I'd already used my health insurance excess – was incredibly upsetting.

I work my arse off to pay my own way in this world. I work full time and study 30+ hours a week. I get no government assistance. I usually manage to just make ends meet, and extras or luxuries aren't really an option for me. If something unexpected pops up, then I have to put in hours of overtime and hope that I can stretch the budget to make it work. Financially, it's always a struggle and although things are never easy for me, and I don't get many treats, it doesn't really bother me. I just make do.

I know that your lawyer will argue that you've had a bad childhood, or that your drug addiction is to blame for any offending, or that it's not *really* your fault that you did those bad things … But my greatest wish is that one day, you'll grow up, and one day, you'll realise the hurt and stress and upset that you've caused … One day, you'll turn into a mature, normal, law-abiding human … And when that happens, then I hope that you feel guilty. I hope that you feel ashamed. I hope that you're disgusted in yourself for all the hurt that you've caused. I hope that for every day for the rest of your life, you wake up feeling ashamed, feeling terribly guilty for the sadness and distress that your actions caused. Because at the end of the day, Harley, you can't blame anyone but yourself. You can make all the excuses you want, blame the drugs or whatever else you think will make a judge feel sorry for you …

 

But at the end of the day, it's all on you.

 

You did it.

 

I won't hold my breath waiting for an apology, but look me up if you ever do want to make amends for what you've done.

 

Sincerely,

One of your many victims.