NCJ Number
20546
Journal
Revue de science criminelle et de droit penal compare Issue: 1 Dated: (1973) Pages: 175-180
Date Published
1973
Length
6 pages
Annotation
AFTER CONTRASTING AND COMPARING COMMON LAW CRIMINALITY AND POLITICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL CRIMINALITY, THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES RECENT STUDIES CONCERNING THE NATURE OF SUCH IDEOLOGICAL CRIMES AS TORTURE AND KIDNAPPING.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT CRIMINOLOGY MUST BE CONCERNED WITH BOTH COMMON CRIMES AND POLITICAL CRIMES, AND THAT OF THE TWO, POLITICAL CRIMES ARE THE MORE DANGEROUS. THIS DANGER STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT IDEOLOGICAL CRIMINALS DO NOT FEEL GUILTY, THAT LARGE GROUPS OF PERSONS ARE INVOLVED, AND THAT THE WEAPONS OF IDEOLOGICAL CRIME (GUNS, BOMBS) ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE AUTHOR ALSO MAINTAINS THAT CRIMINOLOGY SHOULD NOT IGNORE POLITICAL CRIMES SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE RELATIVE NATURE OF POLITICAL CRIME OR THE DIFFICULTY OF STUDYING THESE CRIMES. SEVERAL STUDIES CONCERNED WITH IDEOLOGICAL CRIMES ARE PRESENTED AS EXAMPLES OF THIS FORM OF CRIMINOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION. THESE STUDIES ARE CONCERNED WITH BOTH HOSTAGE TAKING AND TORTURE, AND DEAL WITH SUCH FACTORS AS THE CHARACTERISTICS COMMON TO HOSTAGE TAKING, SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF KIDNAPPING, AND THE HISTORICAL USE OF TORTURE AS A MEANS OF POLITICAL DOMINATION BY THOSE IN POWER. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES WITH A CALL FOR RESEARCH ON THE TIES BETWEEN POLITICAL CRIMINALITY AND COMMON LAW CRIMINALITY. FOR THE TRANSLATION OF THIS DOCUMENT, SEE NCJ-37267. --IN FRENCH...DMC