Three levels
Theft. Taking something secretly. The owner does not see or know about it; the offender expects to leave unnoticed.
Robbery. Taking something openly. Snatching a bag and running away in front of its owner is already a different, more serious offense than theft.
Violent robbery. An attack involving violence dangerous to life or health, or a threat of such violence. It is the most serious of the three.
Fraud. This is separate: the property is handed over voluntarily because the person has been deceived. There is no violence or taking by force, only deception.
The key difference between the first two is what the offender believed was happening. If he thought he was acting secretly but someone saw him, the act usually remains theft: what matters is what he expected.
The reverse situation matters too. If someone starts secretly, is noticed, and continues openly, the act becomes a more serious offense: being discovered changes the legal classification in the middle of the act.
Why the distinction matters
The distinction is based not on the amount of damage but on the danger to a person. A wallet taken from a pocket and a bag ripped from someone's hands may be worth the same, but the second involves direct contact and a risk to the victim, so the punishment is more severe.
This is also why victims are often confused. It may seem that the amount stolen is what matters, but the law looks first at the method, so a robbery involving little money can be more serious than a major theft.
There is also a separate category involving misappropriation. If someone was given an item to keep or use for work and kept it for themselves, this is not theft: there was no taking, because the item was already legally in their possession.
These distinctions work differently in different countries, but the principle is shared. Everywhere, the law separates secret acts from open ones, and taking property from deception and abuse of trust.
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Sources
- Criminal law distinguishes secret taking, open taking, and an attack involving the use or threat of violence
- the distinction is based on the method of taking and the degree of danger to the victim, not on the amount of damage. Fraud and misappropriation are separate offenses