In the news

Not really - the arguments are the same: because people are getting away with something it is right that we should stop pursuing it.

'Maybe if we stop chasing so many rapists a larger proportion will turn themselves in'? I don't think I understand the comparison.

Absurd. Tax avoidance is not a crime; tax evasion is.

Just to show how ridiculous this line of argument, try this one for size:

Making the sale & consumption of alcohol illegal was a mistake because it led to the wide-spread flouting of the law.