StateCrime

Dr.CathyGormleyHeenan

Whatisstatecrime?

SchoolofCriminology,Politics&SocialPolicy

Isitthis?

Orthis?

Orthis?

Inthismodulewewilllookat
genocide,suchasthisin
Rwanda.

Welllookattorturelikethis
fromAbuGhraib

AndalsowarcrimesinBosnia
July1996,Pilica,Bosnia:Forensicexpertsfromtheinternationalwar
crimestribunalinTheHagueworkonapileofpartlydecomposed bodies
foundinamassgrave

And,ofcourse,
lookattheissues
ofvictimsand
victimology of
statecrimes

Wellalsoconsiderstatecorporate
crimesandcorruptioningovernment.

Suchasthecase
ofIan
Tomlinson

Andalso,policecrimes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HECMVdl9SQ

Finally,wewilllookatmechanismforcontrolling
statecrimes,suchasInternationalWarCrimes
TribunalatTheHague.

Quickcheck:isthisthemodulefor
you?Doesitdowhatyouexpect?Are
youstaying?
1. Yes,thisisthe
moduleforme.
2. No,Ivechangedmy
mind
3. Imnotsureyet

Reviewofmodulehandbook

Teachingandlearningmethods
ModuleAssessment(30/20/50breakdown)
Onlinediscussionboard
Findingresources(bespoketraining)
Guestlecturers
Readinglist
Otherreadings,newspapers&webct
Questionsforconsideration
Suggestionsforessayquestions

Introduction

Therealityisthat

Conventionalcriminologyoftenignoresthe
problemsofcrimescommittedbythestate.
The2002bookOxfordHandbookofCriminology
has1pageoutof1200+onstatecrime.
Havealook howmanydoesTimNewburns
Criminologybookhave?
Thebigquestion iswhyisthereafocusoncrimes
ofthepowerless ratherthanthecrimesofthe
powerful?

Mostoftheseriouscrime,andthemostserious
crimes,arecommittedbythestate.
Oftenremainsinvisible becausemuchofitis
nevernamedasacrime.
Thereisatendencytodefinecrimeaswhatever
itisthatthegovernmentdefineslegallyas
criminal.
Wecan,inthisclass,looknotjustatcriminallaw
butalsohumanrightslawandinternationallaw
togiveusamoreOBJECTIVEbasistosaywhatis
statecrime andwhatisnot!

Sowhatisastatecrime?
Statesponsoredmassmurderorgenocide
1.3millionpeoplekilledinPol PotsCambodiain
197579
Disappearanceof90,000Argentineansinlate
1970s
250,000UgandanskilledbyIdi Amins
governmentin1970s.
1millionHutusinRwandabetween19881994.

Theuseoffamineasaninstrumentofstate
violence?
Politicalterroragainstcitizens(unjust
imprisonment,forcedlabour,espionage,
harassment,torture)?
Harvestingtheorgansandskinofexecutedprisoners
ordissidentstosellinthegrowingmarketsoforgan
transplantationandcosmetics?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8BMrCShWY8

Questionstoconsider
Otherthings?
Ingroupsforafewminutestoseewhatyoucancome
upwith.(alsoasawayofshowingwhattheseminar
sessionwillbelike)
Nextweek,wewillbeginbylookingatsomeofthe
theoreticaldefinitionsofstatecrime.butbeforethen
considerthis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M
ounk0FNdY

Whyhavesomanycriminologistsoverlookedstate
crime?
Whyarecrimesofthestatesodifficultfor
conventionalcriminologytodealwith?
Whatdoesthistellusaboutthedifferentconstructive
schemesatworkinmainstreamcriminology?
TobeginREAD Rothe,D.L.andRossJ.I.,(2008)The
MarginalizationofStateCrimeinIntroductory
TextbooksonCriminology,CriticalSociology34(5)
741752
Andfinallywhathappenswhenpeoplecriticisethe
stateandrepresentativesofthatstate?