Faking Home Security

Now, on the same latch but 90 degrees from over from the first two screws are what appear to be three attachment screws. That is, until you take the latch off and find the three screws only screw into the same latch and don't secure the latch to the gate. They screw into a plate that I thought was part of the gate and rusted off. However, now I believe the latch was fabricated that way from the beginning. Ingenious or asinine?

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