That infects the way the authorities view the offence and, more importantly, the level of social opprobrium we attach to people caught doing it.

Even the wealthy could be plunged into poverty and disgrace in a heartbeat because safety nets did not exist but social opprobrium did.

In the modern era, public jury trials allowed journalism to play a part, with the result that crime would be not merely expiated but exposed to social opprobrium.

Sometimes there was some form of social opprobrium to those not participating.