Is Pranks That Scared (Frighten) People And Causes Angry At Them Illegal (Crime) ?

[HamedDehghany]

I see at many hidden cam pranks causes people very angry
could them report to police a crime ?

[grasscarp]

Pranks and tricks on people recorded with a hidden camera are unlikely to be damaging or the person setting up would not want to record what they are doing. You can only report a crime to police if you are the victim of a crime.

[Old_Geezer]

I do not know but suspect it would depend on the nature of the prank.

[pixie373]

Surely anyone can report a crime, not just the victim? I'm not sure that I've seen anything illegal though. Can you give any examples?

[grasscarp]

Pixie what I was trying to say was that you can only report a crime has been committed with no emphasis on who does the reporting.

[boxtops]

I don't think anything (such as those which used to be filmed on Candid Camera) can be described as crimes, but if anyone had tried that sort of thing on me, I'd have been bloody annoyed. I hate practical jokes. Remember that man who was told that his car had been crushed? He was devastated. Not remotely funny.

[mazie]

Law seems very popular at the moment

[pixie373]

Sorry, grasscarp. Misunderstood that x

[grasscarp]

No worries Pixie. :0)

[CokeTulip]

Didn't Jeremy Beagle (I think) make a TV career from carrying out pranks?
(no doubt the TV company would have checked the legal implications and they will have covered themselves)

I do know some people would not cope well if a prank was played on them and they are often targeted because of this (a bigger laugh). It can cause humiliation, shock and really hurt people and I guess if taken to extreme could cause distress - or if someone got a heart attack because of it or all their hair turned white (only guessing but could probably sue but perhaps depends on the prank - I dont know for sure).

If you put a spider in the lunch box of someone who had a spider phobia...that wouldn't be a good lunch.

[joko]

merely being being made to feel angry or embarrassed etc is not a crime, so no.

[boxtops]

Some of the "pranks" have been really cruel in the past though - I could understand if that bloke whose car was "crushed" HAD had a heart attack or collapsed. I don't find this sort of thing remotely funny.

[Old_Geezer]

You make me believe my cherished car is crushed, I crush your nose. Fair's fair after all. It's just a nose rearrangement prank.

[jomifl]

Actual bodily harm is a crime.