Alleged Perpetrators Research Articles

Grand theft ambulance: Media reports of stolen ambulances in the United States, 1980 to 2020

BackgroundAmbulance thefts are frequently reported in the media, particularly over the past decade, with increasing numbers of news stories on these events. Despite these media reports, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed literature describing details and themes of these events. MethodsWe performed a structured review of media reports published between 1980 and 2020 using publicly available databases EMS1.com and Newspaper Source Plus, with keywords “stolen” and “ambulance,” with filters for date range, “1980 to 2020,” and location, “US.” The search was limited to English language articles and duplicate reports were excluded. Results263 unique media reports of stolen ambulances were identified (n = 149 from EMS1.com and n = 114 from Newspaper Source Plus (NSP)). Texas (n = 19) and Pennsylvania (n = 15) had the most media-reported cases of stolen ambulances. Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Washington, District of Columbia (DC) had the fewest media-reported stolen ambulances. Most cases occurred at a hospital (n = 141), followed by theft on scene (n = 71). Males accounted for approximately two-thirds of alleged perpetrators (68 %, EMS1.com, 66 %, NSP). ConclusionsMedia reports of ambulance thefts in the US have increased in recent years, highlighting the opportunity for improved education, standard policies and procedures, and increased security countermeasures to prevent the potential injuries and economic losses associated with these events.

Editors’ Introduction

Abstract Civil society has long been a key actor in the pursuit of accountability. Moreover, civil society has often helped define what accountability is and how to achieve it. This symposium looks at various contributions made by civil society organizations to the international justice landscape. First, as pioneers in establishing international tribunals or justice mechanisms and intervening in cases before them, and secondly, through contributing to emerging alternative processes. These processes include vetting, sanctions, cases focused on civil liability of alleged perpetrators, and the establishment of People’s Tribunals. These avenues are proving to be innovative ways to fulfil many important goals of accountability, in the face of a slower-moving criminal justice system. This symposium offers diverse perspectives on civil society contributions to today’s expanding accountability efforts — provided by those working in them — as an opportunity to consider the current, and arguably shifting, justice infrastructure.

The Only Path to Justice: The Criminal Legal System and Defamation Judgments Related to #MeToo in Sweden

This article presents a study of court judgments involving women who, in connection with #MeToo, identified alleged perpetrators of sexual violence in social media and were later prosecuted for and convicted of criminal defamation in Sweden. We conceptualise the use of social media to share experiences of sexual violence as an informal path to justice. First, we show that this is supported by how court judgments describe women’s reasons for sharing their information, such as telling their story and sharing it with others. Second, according to Swedish defamation law, a truth defence is allowed only if the defamatory statement is first considered to be justifiable, balancing between the defendant’s interest of freedom of speech and the complainant’s interest of honour and reputation. We show that the courts did not assign the interest of speaking out about sexual violence such a significance that it would make the statement justifiable. In effect, the criminal justice system emerges as the only path to justice for victims of sexual violence, simultaneously making perpetrators invisible and victims responsible for telling without naming.

“It Feels Like Temporary accommodation”: The Impact of Antisocial Behaviour Interventions on Alleged Perpetrators” Feelings of Ontological Security in Social Housing

ABSTRACT ASB interventions have been framed as a necessity to allow residents to feel safe and secure within their own homes by intervening with those who act in a way that causes nuisance or annoyance, however, little research has been conducted into how the ontological security of alleged perpetrators of ASB is impacted by ASB interventions. This research situates ontological security within the theoretical framework of vulnerability, suggesting that a lack of ontological security can heighten vulnerability among arguably already vulnerable ASB perpetrators living within social housing. Reporting from a wider, qualitative longitudinal research project conducted with alleged perpetrators of ASB, this article explores how ASB interventions impact ontological security, finding negative impacts on tenants’ feelings of safety and being “at home”, feelings of insecurity, feelings of being watched and ability to be themselves.

Perpetrators in multimodal media discourse: a case study of personalization in images from The Telegraph

The article deals with the visual and linguistic representation of alleged perpetrators through personalization in news reporting from The Telegraph’s online media platform. The analysis shows how visual message, along with verbal labelling in the text, represent different groups of alleged perpetrators as more or less ‘dangerous’ in news reports. Agency is analyzed through a focus on the lens range and its influence on perceived social distance, the angle of the shot and its role in the understanding of social relations, as well as the direction of an alleged perpetrator’s gaze in images as a way of social interaction with the viewer. The photos of alleged perpetrators appear in The Telegraph with the aim of informing the public about the danger these individuals pose, as well as legitimizing the actions of law enforcement institutions. It appears that verbal and visual identification of these individuals is done with the intention of ‘excluding’ the most dangerous social actors, such as ‘murderers’, from ingroups.

IJCM_356A: Psychiatric evaluation of alleged sexual assault perpetrators in a tertiary care hospital in Southern Odisha: a cross-sectional study

Background: Sexual violence is defined as a range of behaviours, including nonconsensual sexual acts(e.g., rape), attempted non-consensual sexual acts or abusive sexual contact(e.g., unwanted touching),and noncontact sexual abuse(e.g.,threatened sexual violence or verbal sexual harassment). A psychiatric evaluation should not only be important in clinical but also in medicolegal field, for better understanding of psychological characteristics of an offender and making risk assessment of future offending behaviour. Objectives : 1. To study the socio-demographic profile of alleged sexual assault perpetrator presenting to FMT Department of MKCG, MCH Berhampur. 2. To evaluate their psychiatric co-morbidities and find any significant association. Methodology: A cross-sectional study has been conducted in the Department of FMT, MKCG, MCH, Berhampur, Odisha, within a period of 1 year. Using convenience sampling 169 perpetrators of sexual assault were selected. For data collection semi-structured questionnaire and Mini-5 scale was used. Results : Mean age was 45.3 ± 8.2years,78.9 % were unmarried,26.6 % were illiterate. Around 57.8% were unemployed,78.9 % had past history of substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder was seen in 71.05%. Psychotic disorder was seen in 65.7%, alcohol abuse and dependence was seen in 71.05%,substance dependence was seen in 52.6%. Significant association was seen with anti-social personality disorder, Psychotic disorder, alcohol abuse and substance abuse dependence in the perpetrators of sexual assault. Conclusion: From the present study, it was implicated that, mental health co-morbidities are one of the major contributing factors for the criminal behaviour of the perpetrators for sexual assault. Hence all the cases of sexual assaults have to be properly screened out and councelled by the mental health professionals to prevent criminality in the society.

Comparing Attitudes toward Sexual Consent between Japan and Canada

Japanese and Canadian laws regarding sexual assault vary in the degree to which they incorporate the concept of sexual consent, with Japanese law being less consent-oriented than Canadian law. Although the Japanese law has incorporated the concept of sexual consent in the 2023 amendment, the public understanding of the concept is still limited. Reflecting such difference, it could be expected that the general public in both countries also differ in their perceptions and attitudes regarding punishment of sexual crime and sexual consent. The present study aimed to test these expectations and further examine the mediational mechanism that explains the national difference between Japan and Canada. The data from 1125 Japanese and 1125 Canadian respondents showed that Japanese respondents were less likely to perceive the imposition of punishment on an alleged perpetrator described in scenarios as appropriate. In contrast, the difference in the perceived victim’s consent was significant only in three out of seven scenarios. The relation between nations (Japan vs. Canada) and perceived appropriateness of punishment was mediated by the perceived victim’s consent.

Witches, Victims, and Villains: #MeToo and the Political Polarization of Sexual Violence.

#MeToo sought to combat sexual violence but evolved into a polarizing movement in the United States. Using a random sample of 5,153 tweets with #MeToo posted between 2017 and 2019 to explore the language and themes individuals use to polarize conversations around sexual violence, we find that MeToo supporters used rights-and-justice-focused language to advocate for survivors. In contrast, MeToo detractors employed legal and violent language to victimize the alleged perpetrators and villainize victims of sexual violence and their supporters. This demonstrates how "linguistic hijacking" unfolded online, with movement opponents co-opting key terms (like "victim") to undermine movement supporters' goals.

The myth of Australia’s migrant youth gang: examining the perceived association between ethnicity and gangs

ABSTRACT In Australia, as with other countries around the world, migrant young people receive significant media and political attention as the alleged perpetrators of significant criminal activity. This has been a consistent feature over time, with ‘Asian gangs’ in the 1990s in the US, UK and Australia, ‘Middle-Eastern gangs’ around the time of 9/11, ‘Turkish gangs’ and ‘Albanian gangs’ in the UK and Europe, and ‘African gangs’ in Australia since the early 2000s. In this research, we investigate the risk factors associated with youth gang membership in Australia. Using data from the Australia Youth Safety Survey from 2,945 young people aged 14–25 years, we examine the importance of first- and second-generation migrant status on gang membership. After controlling for known risk factors, we find that migrant status was not a predictor of gang membership. Results offer important insights into the prominence of morality and self-control as protective factors against youth gang membership, and speak to the role of neighbourhood context in which the young person lives.

The Prosecution of Atrocity Crimes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, between Accountability Logic and Political Strategies

Abstract Several efforts have been undertaken to uphold the liability for atrocity crimes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Even though the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and domestic courts opened proceedings against alleged perpetrators of atrocity crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Burundi, and Rwanda, these prosecuting efforts are viewed as pursuing political strategies. Based on documentary analysis and an online research survey, this research paper shows evidence of accountability logic and political strategies. Although the undertaken efforts are in line with the logic of accountability, they remain under the influence of political strategies. The research findings highlight that political strategies have been influencing criminal law codification and its enforcement.

Rethinking Islamic Education in Facing the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century (2005)*

The Muslim ummah, as a world community, faces many challenges at the threshold of the new century. The fateful event of 9/11 has revealed yet another facet of the problems plaguing Muslim society: the existence of radical, or what some media have labeled “militant,” Muslim groups. Despite the Muslim world’s condemnation of the 9/11 terrorist attack, the United States considered itself the victim and thus launched its “war against terrorism” against the alleged perpetrators: the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Iraq, which was alleged to be building weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and assisting al-Qaeda, became the second target. Iran would have become the immediate third target if the international community had supported the Bush administration’s unilateral declaration of war against Iraq. But it did not, for the allegations could not be proven. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Societies 22, no. 4 (2005): 133-145

Gender-based violence help desk services at Teaching Hospital, Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious health and social problem in South Asian countries, including Sri Lanka. This study describes the socio-demographic characteristics of clients and their alleged perpetrators, types of violence and outcomes reported, and the services provided by the GBV Help Desk at Teaching Hospital - Jaffna.Data were collected retrospectively from records of all 883 clients who sought help and who were referred to the GBV Help Desk of Teaching Hospital - Jaffna during a 2-year period (January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020) using a data extraction sheet.The clients of the GBV Help Desk were mostly female (91.3%; n=806). Physical, economic, emotional and sexual violence were experienced by 68.5%, 48.2%, 40% and 29.4% of clients, respectively. In 87.9% (n=776) of cases the husband, lover or partner was the alleged perpetrator. Around two thirds of alleged perpetrators (65%, n=518) had a history of alcohol use. Physical violence was more likely among legally married women (84.3%) compared to legally unmarried women (35.4%) (p<0.001) whereas sexual violence was more likely in legally unmarried women (70.5%) compared to legally married women (10.3%) (p<0.001). Suicidal inclinations were reported by 7.3% (n=64). All clients were befriended; further counselling was arranged for 27.8% (n=245).In conclusion the GBV Help Desk mainly provides services to women following intimate partner violence.

Analysis of Medico-legal Death Investigation on Allegations of Elder Abuse in Seattle, Washington

Introduction: Elder abuse is reported in one in six elderly people worldwide, thus, identifying its characteristics is very much crucial. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the characteristics of the decedents, and their complainants and alleged perpetrators in the elderly population in Seattle, Washington over ten years from 2010.Methods: A total of 8,739 medico-legal death investigations in elderly people aged 65 years or older were perused retrospectively at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office in Seattle, Washington. The records (n=161, 002%) contained allegations of elder abuse or neglect and were selected for analysis to describe the characteristics of the decedents, complainants and alleged perpetrators. The data were presented in frequency distributions. The complainants were categorized into five (families, hospice, care facilities, law enforcement and health providers) and alleged perpetrators were categorized into four (families, hospice, care facilities and health providers) and these categories were compared to each other. The presence of pressure ulcers and dementia were described according to the manner of death.Results: Out of 161 cases, the majority (n=97, 60%) were females and the age ranges from 65 to 99 years with a mean of 80 years (standard deviation=6). Most of the deaths were certified as ‘natural’ (n=110, 63%), while, 22 cases (14%) were certified as ‘undetermined’. Most of the complainants were health providers (n=69, 43%). Entities identified as alleged perpetrators were primarily long-term care facilities (n=77, 48%) or families (n=71, 44%). Further, families were less likely to be complainants (n=3, 12%) and more likely to be the alleged perpetrator (n=13, 52%) in deaths certified as ‘undetermined’ (n=25). Long-term care facilities were more likely to be identified as alleged perpetrators in deaths associated with dementia (n=24, 60%). The presence of pressure ulcers was more common (n=14, 56%) than dementia (n=6, 24%) in the ‘undetermined’ manner of death certification.Conclusion: This study demonstrates the importance of a medico-legal death surveillance system. The long-term care facilities and families were identified as alleged perpetrators; therefore, further studies are needed to identify their associated factors. Dementia was under-represented as a potential impetus behind many allegations, thus, conducting prospective studies and neuropathological assessments are recommended. To identify the correlation of racial/socioeconomic disparity, legal consequences on allegations of elder abuse or neglect are required to better understand the context.

Should We Call for Criminal Accountability During Ongoing Conflicts?

Abstract This article suggests an account in the language of criminal law that merits the language for criminal accountability over the language of human rights, as a form of accountability, when prosecution is not possible. Calling for the prosecution of those most responsible for international crimes seems to be feasible after the war has ended, or at least when there is a vision for a political transition, but the war in Syria is ongoing and a vision for political transition remains elusive. The Syrian conflict has produced almost all kinds of heinous crimes, yet there is no clear political will to hold the alleged perpetrators of atrocity crimes accountable. At the same time, calls for criminal accountability in Syria, and discourse to achieve international criminal justice are taking place before the civil war ends. This article relies on the expressive theory of punishment to assess the rationales of calls for criminal accountability during the ongoing conflict in Syria. Out of many rationales, the article notes that calls for criminal accountability open the possibility of punishment and send a message of condemnation to perpetrators as well as a message of acknowledgment to victims. Furthermore, using the language of criminal accountability as a basis for the calls is stronger than using the language of human rights. The article discusses the problem of standing to call those responsible for international crimes to account and proposes that our shared humanity provides the authority for such calls while also pointing out limitations of this approach.

Confronting Bias in Whistleblowing: How Race, Gender, and Marital Status Intersect in the Reporting of Unethical Conduct

ABSTRACT Race, gender, and marital status are demographic characteristics that have been shown to influence perceptions and decision making by others. Race and gender, as visible characteristics, influence bystander calls to police and arrests. Further, the race, gender, and marital status of defendants influences the granting of bail, prosecution, and punishment. We test whether the race, gender, and marital status of an alleged perpetrator also impact whistleblowing intentions when the perpetrator is believed to be selling Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-protected data. We find that the interaction of the race, gender, and marital status of the alleged perpetrator is a significant predictor of both internal and external whistleblowing. JEL Classifications: M49.

Universal jurisdiction and the obligation to extradite or prosecute

The article is devoted to the question of the relationship between the aut dedere aut judicare principle and concepts of universal jurisdiction in international criminal law. Cooperation between states in the fight against international crimes involves, among other things, solving the issue of the exercise of national criminal jurisdiction, including universal jurisdiction, as well as the implementation of the aut dedere aut judicare principle. Providing universal jurisdiction is an important element of prosecuting alleged perpetrators of crimes of international concern, especially when the alleged perpetrator is not prosecuted in the territory where the crime was committed. It was determined that each state defines the scope of its criminal jurisdiction (including universal jurisdiction) and each state is responsible for determining the scope of its criminal law. States are required to conform to their international obligations, including refraining from interfering in the internal affairs of other states and implementing obligations on prosecution or extradition. A conclusion was made about the importance of distinguishing the concepts of universal jurisdiction and aut dedere aut judicare. Universal jurisdiction applies when there is no other connection to the state (territoriality, nationality, the protective principle or any other basis). Aut dedere aut judicare obligation entails the transfer of the case to the competent authorities for prosecution or extradition, not the establishment of jurisdiction. In order to fulfill the obligation aut dedere aut judicare, the state must already have passed laws criminalizing certain acts. An obligation aut dedere aut judicare does not only refer to serious crimes committed by a foreigner against a foreigner abroad. An aut dedere aut judicare obligation is not limited to situations in which a universal jurisdiction is required to be applied for the prosecution or extradition.

Describing Coercion in the Courtroom: The Influence of Language and Maltreatment Severity on Jurors' Perceptions of Child Witnesses.

Regardless of compliance to coercion by an alleged perpetrator, child maltreatment is abuse in any form. However, the extent to which coercion is described as an obligation (mandatory compliance) or permission (optional compliance) is legally relevant. The present investigation examined how attorneys question children about coercion and how children describe coercion in courtroom investigations of alleged child sexual abuse, and whether such language influences jurors' perceptions of children's testimony. Study 1 assessed 64 transcripts of children's testimonies and revealed that both attorneys and children use coercive language. Problematically, terms of permission were used when describing sexual abuse, potentially implying compliance was optional. Study 2 presented 160 adults with transcript excerpts, varied by coercive language (obligation or permission) and maltreatment type (sexual abuse or punishment). Coercive language influenced perceptions of coercion and whether the adult was to blame. Maltreatment type influenced perceptions of severity, credibility, and verdict. Overall, coercive language and maltreatment type influence perceptions of how the event unfolded.

Client characteristics and service use at the first hospital-based Canadian child and youth advocacy center: An analysis of case tracking data

BackgroundThe Child and Youth Advocacy Center (CYAC) model supports a coordinated response for young victims of abuse and their families. The model is prevalent in the United States, with more recent growth across Canada. ObjectiveThis descriptive study summarizes case tracking data to profile the client population, referral characteristics, use of services, and associations between client characteristics and service use in child maltreatment investigations referred to the first hospital-based Canadian CYAC over time. This data illustrates the potential to use CYAC case tracking data in understanding the use of, and client populations served by, this emerging collaborative service model in Canada.Participants and Setting Participants included children and youth served at SeaStar Child and Youth Advocacy Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia (N = 1,364) in its first seven years of operation. MethodsDescriptive statistics were calculated for client and case characteristics. Differences in characteristics between time periods were assessed using Chi-square tests. Risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between characteristics and the use of specific services were estimated using log-binomial regression. ResultsThe most common indication for referral to this CYAC was sexual assault (53.3 %). Most clients were female (60.9 %), with a median client age of 10.0 years (IQR 6.0 to 13.0 years). In over half of all cases the alleged perpetrator was a family member (56.0 %) and most alleged perpetrators were adults (79.9 %). Medical exams were provided in 13.4 % of referrals and were less likely in children aged > 7 years (age 7–12, RR = 0.38, CI 0.27–0.51; and age > 12, RR = 0.41, CI 0.29–0.58), in referrals for sexual assault compared to physical assault (RR = 0.69, CI 0.52–0.90), and when the alleged perpetrator was an acquaintance rather than a family member (RR = 0.48, CI 0.34–0.67). Child and youth advocate support was provided in 76.1 % of cases and was slightly more likely in sexual assault and ‘other’ types of referrals (RR = 1.14, CI 1.06–1.22; and RR = 1.13, CI 1.02–1.26, respectively). Canine Assisted Intervention (CAI) was offered in 38.6 % of cases and was more likely in referrals for sexual assault (RR = 1.23, CI 1.01–1.50). Of those who had CAI, 41 % had an Accredited Facility Dog present with them during their forensic interview; this accompaniment in interview was more likely for clients who were older (RR = 2.15, CI 1.15–4.01) and female (RR = 2.56, CI 1.34–4.90). There were few differences in client and case characteristics or service use over time. ConclusionsThis study provides descriptive context of child maltreatment investigations referred to a Canadian hospital-based CYAC. Given the recognized variability among CYACs in scope and setting, this profile contributes to a broader understanding of the client population and service uptake at a CYAC which varies from the prototypical US-based model most often represented in the existing literature. This information contributes to a more detailed understanding of the CYAC model in practice in Canada, which can help to inform the growth and development of CYACs in the future.

Political orientation and moral judgment of sexual misconduct

In a series of studies in the U.S. (total N participants = 4,828) using both news articles (Studies 1-2) and constructed scenarios (Studies 3-4), we investigated how judgments of responsibility, blame, causal contribution, and punishment for alleged perpetrators and victims of sexual misconduct are influenced by (1) the political orientation of media outlets, (2) participants’ political orientation, and (3) the alleged perpetrators’ political orientation. Results indicated that participants’ political orientation, and the interaction between participants’ and alleged perpetrators’ political orientation, predicted moral judgments. Conservative participants were generally more likely inculpate and punish alleged victims in all four studies. Both conservative and liberal participants judged politically-aligned alleged perpetrators more leniently than politically-opposed alleged perpetrators. This political ingroup effect was ubiquitous across all tests of the dependent measures for conservative participants; whereas it was muted and unreliable for liberal participants. The findings collectively demonstrate that moral judgments about sexual misconduct are politicized at multiple psychological levels, and in ways that asymmetrically affect victims.

259 Understanding carer harm- insights from family carers of people living with dementia and dementia professionals

Abstract Background ‘Carer harm’ is when carers experience violence or become subject to controlling or coercive behaviour, either on an incidental or systematic basis, resulting in physical, psychological and/or sexual harm. Little is known however about the harm experienced by carers at the hands of the person to whom they provide care. Challenges are often faced by social workers and other professionals when care and violence intersect, and a service user is the alleged perpetrator of abuse against their family carer. This study explores the concept of carer harm from the perspective of family carers of People Living with Dementia (PLwD) and dementia professionals. Methods The project deploys an engaged research approach that produced knowledge in collaboration with family carers and professionals. Work Package 1 involved narrative interviews with four family carers of PLwD who self-identified as experiencing carer harm. Work Package 2 involved two focus groups. One with Family Carers Ireland staff and one with dementia professionals. Work Package 3 comprised one World Café Co-Design Workshop with family carers, professionals, and service providers where education and training materials were developed. Results Findings indicate high levels of unmet need and psychological distress with family carers of PLwD regularly experiencing verbal and physical aggression. Stigma and shame were identified as barriers for family carers in disclosing their experiences of carer harm. Professionals reflected on their immense feelings of helplessness and frustration about their inability to respond, highlighting the link between carer harm and the absence of appropriate condition-responsive services. Conclusion Information booklets for family carers of PLwD were developed to raise awareness of carer harm and to empower family carers to protect themselves and seek help. A practice guide was also developed for professionals and support organisations in order to improve our understanding of and responses to, those experiencing carer harm.