Knife stab injuries are rare in Germany but are gaining increasing clinical, societal and political relevance. While nationwide crime statistics document amarked rise in knife attacks, there is currently alack of robust clinical data on hospitalized cases. The aim of this study was to present the temporal development of such injuries in Stuttgart over the past 10years. Aretrospective, single-center cohort analysis was conducted of all patients hospitalized with knife stab injuries inflicted by third parties at the Klinikum Stuttgart between 2014 and 2024. Included were externally inflicted injuries occurring in Stuttgart; self-inflicted injuries, accidents without external involvement and cases treated exclusively on an outpatient basis were excluded. There was asignificant increase in hospitalized patients with stab injuries with apeak in 2021. Overall, this corresponds to an increase of approximately 100% over 10years (10% per year). During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, around 70% more cases occurred compared to other years. The monthly distribution showed significant peaks in April, August and December. The clustering on Sundays and Mondays indicates an elevated risk during weekend nights. Atotal of 92% of affected individuals were male, with amean age of 31.1years. Hospitalized patients with knife stab injuries in Stuttgart significantly increased between 2014 and 2024, particularly during the COVID-19years. The majority of the affected individuals were young men. The results confirm the clinical perception of an increasing number of severe knife stab injuries requiring hospital treatment in the Klinikum Stuttgart.

ABSTRACT Involvement of corporations in international crimes and conflict atrocities, such as crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, are neither isolated events nor uncommon. Importantly, corporate involvement in atrocity crimes is shaped by conditions in “zones of legal risk” (International Commission of Jurists), where gross human rights violations, atrocity crimes and extreme violence are pervasive. In this context, corporations become complicit in the most serious state crimes. The empirical study of 205 historical and contemporary cases across all global regions in a total of 36 countries explores patterns of involvement starting from the conceptual framework developed by the International Commission of Jurists. We identify six “risk profiles” of involvement defined by industry type, partners in such crimes, and the type of involvement and contribution to the crimes. Our results showcase the relationship between corporate characteristics and risks of involvement in serious violence for different risk profiles across space and time. Starting from a legal conceptual framework, we discuss how these results contribute to criminological theories of corporate crime, as well as to regulation theory and practice.

While there was a global shift in social interaction and alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, their associations with changes in crime rates remain underexplored. We aimed to examine the associations between crime rates and alcohol use within the context of pandemic-related social distancing. We calculated crime rates across crime categories from 2011 to 2022 using crime statistics from the Korean National Police Agency. We estimated two linear regression models with the crime rate as the dependent variable. The first model examined the association of movie attendance (a proxy for social distancing) and the unemployment rate with crime rates. The second model additionally included per capita alcohol consumption to determine how the association between social distancing and crime rates was attenuated when accounting for alcohol use. As of 2022, 19% of total crimes involved offenders under the influence of alcohol, with particularly high proportions in murder (64%), traffic accidents (47%), arson (32%), violence (28%), and rape (20%). Overall crime rates and offences committed under the influence of alcohol, which had steadily declined from 2011, fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both alcohol consumption and social interaction declined during the pandemic. While the rates of overall crime, violence, rape, traffic accidents, and arson were initially associated with social contact, these associations were no longer significant after adjusting for alcohol consumption; instead, strong positive associations with alcohol consumption were observed. The rate of murder was not significantly associated with social contact, but exhibited a significant association only with alcohol consumption. The concurrent declines in crime and alcohol consumption, along with the attenuating effect of alcohol in the relationship between social distancing and crime, suggest that addressing social drinking environments may be an effective strategy for reducing crime rates.

This study initiates a geospatial-based policing hotspot model for the jurisdiction of the Metro Jaya Regional Police by integrating the criminology of place, routine activity theory, and crime pattern theory. Secondary data were obtained from the publication of BPS Jakarta Crime Statistics from 2022 to 2024. Sourced from total crime, crime cleared, and crime rate, as well as categorization of crime types, case data are treated as a point pattern and processed through two steps, namely, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) to map hotspot density and persistence and Space-Time Scan Statistic (SaTScan) to detect space clusters statistically significant time. The results show a strong pattern of occurrence concentration in a relatively stable small number of locations over time, with a significant fluctuation in 2023 to a decline in 2024. The composition of the three-year data confirms the priority of handling focused on Non-Violent Crimes against Property Rights, Crimes related to Fraud/Embezzlement/Corruption, and Crimes related to narcotics. Interpretation through crime hotspot visualization emphasizes caution in cross-year comparisons and the importance of triangulation with internally geocoded reports and locations. Operationally, the KDE–SaTScan series produces cycles including: (1) identification of persistent crime hotspots for structural prevention, (ii) rapid response scheduling based on risky space-time dimensions, and (iii) indicator-based evaluation (crime rate priority area, total crime-cleared difference, and indication of spread). This approach focused on place and time as the main decision-making factors for the Resmob unit, while maintaining the accountability of the Polri Presisi to realize the vision of the Asta Cita Program.

ABSTRACT This article examines cooperation in roadblock politics. It discusses how the border closure between Colombia and Venezuela from 2015 to 2022 and the subsequent bilateral tensions created a political economy of smuggling whereby state officials delegated basic state functions to organized crime groups in order to contain political dissidents and rival non‐state actors, to oversee illegal economies and to maintain social control. The roots of this political economy are instances of negotiated mobility that occur at checkpoints along the multiple informal border trails, where smugglers, organized crime groups and state officials interact. The article builds upon previous research on borders and extra‐legal governance in Colombia through direct observations, in‐depth interviews and secondary data. It contributes to the crime‒conflict nexus literature, improving our understanding of the rationales behind the arrangements that exist between organized crime groups and states at borders and expanding the research agenda on extra‐legal governance.

Targeted killings by state actors are critical challenge for forensic and criminological analysis, especially in a cross-border context. Despite much criminological and policy discussion, a striking lack exists of a systematic process of integration of visual and forensic information used to measure the validity of official accounts of investigations. This research uses the concepts of State Crime Theory and Crime Scene Reconstruction Theory to put state actions in perspective and understand forensic data in the context of accountability. A qualitative case study approach adopting an interpretivist paradigm was used to analyze source materials for this project, which included publicly available fact-finding reports, crime scene photographs, ballistics records, post-mortem results and narrative versions of the investigation. Visual content analysis, ballistic trajectory analysis and narrative-forensic consistency analysis showed that there were great discrepancies between what was being said and what the material evidence showed. Major points such as directional, controlled fire that is not related to moving vehicles, biomechanically impossible trajectories of wounds, patterned bloodstains that are spatially confined, and deviations in processing of evidence are significant. These results illustrate the effectiveness of forensic and visual evidence combination to visualize event dynamics and the critical analysis of the legitimacy of force use by the state. On the basis of these results, the research suggests the use of uniform forensic guidelines, consistency theories on evidences/ narratives, special investigators, and external controls as solutions to enhance accountability, transparency, and integrity of operations in politically sensitive or transnational murders and all other associated crimes. All in all, this study provides a replicable methodology of forensic evaluation of targeted murders that connects empirical studies and theoretical criticism and provides empirical advice on policy and investigative practice.

People sometimes view it as justified for others (and for themselves) to consciously adopt beliefs that are inconsistent with the available evidence, provided that the belief is thought to promote a moral good. In the present research we examine whether this phenomenon is observed regardless of people’s level of commitment to epistemic rationality. Two studies show that how much people value epistemic rationality predicts more favourable evaluations of other people’s evidence-based beliefs, and more unfavourable evaluations of beliefs formed based on non-evidential considerations (Study 1–2). The only circumstance where a strong commitment to epistemic rationality did not favour the evidence-based belief was when it required racial stereotyping of a man based on local crime statistics. This exception was not attributable to elevated Care/harm concerns, did not depend on whether the target was black or white (Study 3 A), or on whether stereotyping was based on skin colour or clothing (Study 3B).

FROM PROTECTION TO PROSECUTION: MAPPING INDIA’S LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND THE JUDICIAL TRAJECTORY Jyotsna Singh, BA.LL.B (hons)/5th year/10th semester at Amity University Lucknow Campus (India) Dr. Sarita Yadav, Assistant Professor at Amity University Lucknow Campus (India) Download Manuscript doi.org/10.70183/lijdlr.2026.v04.19 This research examines the evolution, structure, and effectiveness of India’s legal framework This research examines the evolution, structure, and effectiveness of India’s legal framework addressing domestic violence against women, tracing its transformation from a primarily protective civil regime to an increasingly prosecution-oriented criminal justice response. Domestic violence remains a pervasive socio-legal problem, as evidenced by national survey data and crime statistics showing sustained prevalence and high reporting of cruelty within marital relationships.

Abstract. Understanding how individuals perceive the importance of location information is critical for improving the communication of spatial data. This study investigates how demographic factors, particularly age, affect the perceived significance of location in different contexts. Using survey data from 101 UK-based participants, we analysed responses to questions assessing the informativeness of location relative to other contextual data (e.g., time, source, quantity) in scenarios involving pollution and sexual crime statistics. The results indicate that age is a key determinant in evaluating location information, with older participants placing greater emphasis on location for pollution data, while gender emerged as more influential in the context of sexual crime. Education showed minimal impact. These findings suggest that location perceptions vary between different age groups and contexts, with implications for tailoring location-based information presentation to diverse audiences. Future research should explore adaptive strategies for communicating spatial data across demographic groups to enhance comprehension and decision-making.

This research explores the media representation of police checkpoints and its impact on public perception and community trust. Police checkpoints serve as a critical mechanism for law enforcement, yet their portrayal in media significantly influences community attitudes towards police practices. This study identifies notable gaps in existing literature, particularly concerning the nuances of how different demographics perceive police checkpoints and the extent to which media narratives shape these perceptions. Previous research has concentrated predominantly on crime statistics and police efficiency, neglecting to analyze the qualitative aspects of community experiences and the role of media in framing these experiences. This gap highlights the need for an in-depth investigation into the socio-cultural factors that inform public sentiment and trust in law enforcement. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, this study conducts interviews and focus groups with community members, law enforcement officials, and media representatives. Participants are asked to share their perspectives on media portrayals of police checkpoints and their effects on community trust and perceptions of safety. The findings reveal that sensationalized media coverage often fosters mistrust, while balanced reporting can enhance community relationships with law enforcement. Furthermore, this research underscores how narratives vary across different socio-economic and racial demographics, indicating that media representation is not only a reflection of reality but also a powerful tool that can either reinforce or diminish community trust. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on policing strategies and community relations, advocating for more responsible media practices that consider the intrinsic link between representation and public perception.

This study examines how livestock theft – the most common rural crime in South Africa – is portrayed in the media across the nine regions between April 2018 and March 2025. Using quantitative media visibility analysis, it evaluates the alignment between public discourse and criminal prevalence by comparing digital media mentions of ‘stock theft’ and ‘veediefstal’ with official crime statistics. The results show a glaring disparity: while livestock theft remains under-reported in the media, farm murders – an unrelated but more sensational rural crime – receive disproportionate coverage, particularly in Indigenous and Afrikaans-language media. Urban provinces garner the most media attention despite having lower theft rates, underscoring linguistic and infrastructure biases. The increased media references coincide with the National Livestock Theft Prevention Forum (NSTPF) receiving statutory funding in 2022, indicating that institutional involvement can enhance visibility. Using Tabbert’s linguistic framing and Shoemaker and Reese’s news production theory, the study argues that media coverage is manufactured rather than reflective. It concludes that the South African media coverage of livestock theft is skewed by language and geography, sidelining rural communities and distorting public understanding. A more inclusive media is essential to ensure justice, equity and visibility for all.

While organised crime has long been entrenched in Latin America, the spatial configuration of violence associated with it has undergone significant transformations in recent years. Homicide rates have escalated beyond traditional epicentres, spreading to countries once perceived as relatively safe. In Ecuador, the homicide rate rose by 429% between 2019 and 2024, largely driven by drug-related violence, while in Uruguay, 21% of homicides are connected to conflicts related to the illegal drug market. Beyond security concerns, organised crime undermines governance, erodes trust and constrains development. This article develops a mid-range analytical framework to explain these trends, linking criminal group fragmentation, institutional weakness and illegal market dynamics through the concepts of criminal governance and thick crime habitats. Using comparative case studies of Montevideo, Rosario, Guayaquil and Limón, it shows how organised crime adapts to varying contexts of institutional fragility and illegal market dynamics. The findings contribute to the refinement of existing theories of state–crime relations and highlight the emergence of new forms of criminal governance in urban and lower-violence contexts.

This study is motivated by the increasing dynamics of criminal activity within the jurisdiction of the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police (Polda NTT), characterized by regional variations and complex causal factors. Conventional crimes such as assault, theft, and mob violence dominate the crime landscape and significantly affect social stability. The purpose of this research is to analyze the patterns, causes, and crime control strategies implemented by Polda NTT in maintaining public security and order. The study employs an empirical legal approach using a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative analysis of crime statistics with qualitative interviews involving police officers. Data were obtained from the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) of Polda NTT and cover all police jurisdictions, including one city police department and twenty-one district police offices. Findings reveal that crime rates in NTT are strongly influenced by social, economic, cultural, and geographical factors. The most prevalent crimes include assault, ordinary theft, traffic accidents, and mob violence. Major contributing factors consist of a local culture of violence, alcohol consumption, economic hardship, and low legal literacy. Polda NTT’s strategies involve preventive measures (routine patrols and public legal education), repressive actions (law enforcement and offender guidance), and humanistic approaches such as the Jumat Curhat program, which facilitates direct dialogue with the community.

Marital rape defined as sexual intercourse without consent within marriage remains one of the most contested, invisible, and misunderstood forms of domestic violence in India. Despite global recognition of bodily autonomy as a fundamental human right, Indian law continues to uphold a colonial‑era exemption that denies married women the same protection granted to unmarried women. This research paper examines the historical, legal, social, and psychological dimensions of marital rape in India through an extensive review of existing literature, national crime data, international reports, and secondary quantitative findings. The purpose of this study is to analyze the deep‑rooted patriarchal norms that shape the legal system, understand the complex barriers that prevent survivors from reporting abuse, and evaluate the broader implications of continuing to treat forced sexual intercourse within marriage as a non‑criminal act. Drawing upon data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS‑5), the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the World Health Organization (WHO), and multiple NGO reports, the research highlights significant discrepancies between the recorded cases of domestic violence and the actual prevalence of spousal sexual violence in Indian households. While official crime statistics show limited reporting, independent studies consistently reveal far higher rates of coercion and abuse, suggesting that silence is not evidence of safety but a reflection of stigma, dependence, and a lack of legal remedies. The literature further demonstrates that marital rape affects women across socioeconomic backgrounds, challenging the misconception that it is confined to lower‑income or less‑educated groups. Instead, the findings illustrate that hierarchical gender norms and social expectations surrounding marriage play a central role in keeping survivors silent, regardless of class or region. The study also incorporates expert opinions and secondary accounts from legal scholars, human rights advocates, and social researchers, revealing a stark divide between international human rights standards and India’s current legal framework. While more than 150 countries recognize marital rape as a criminal offense, India remains among a shrinking minority that continues to treat marriage as an automatic and permanent form of consent. This disconnect not only violates the principles of bodily integrity and personal liberty but also contradicts constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity. The research further explores the psychological consequences of marital rape, underscoring its long‑term impact on survivors’ emotional well‑being, self‑perception, and mental health factors that are often dismissed or minimized because the violence occurs within the context of marriage. Overall, this paper argues that the failure to criminalize marital rape perpetuates a culture of silence, normalizes coercion, and reinforces harmful gender dynamics within Indian society. By synthesizing quantitative data, legal analyses, and expert commentary, the research concludes that acknowledging marital rape as a crime is essential for advancing gender justice, protecting survivors, and aligning India with global human rights norms. The findings underscore the urgent need for legal reform, social awareness, and a systemic shift toward understanding consent as an ongoing, indispensable aspect of intimate relationships. Without meaningful change, marital rape will continue to remain hidden in plain sight an often ignored but deeply damaging form of violence within the Indian household.

Russia's Cultural Aggression: New Janissaries and the Empire's Proven Corporate Mechanism

Voice phishing has grown increasingly sophisticated, employing a range of deceptive tactics and social engineering skills to exploit individual and institutional vulnerabilities. In South Korea, countermeasures usually rely on static educational scenarios that fail to capture the dynamic, psychologically adaptive nature of real-time manipulation. This study introduces VishBox, an AI agent-orchestrated simulation framework that enables ethically safe reproduction of attacker-victim interactions through coordinated autonomous agents. VishBox generates high-fidelity synthetic crime dialogues and integrates empirically calibrated victim profiles parameterized by demographics, digital financial literacy, and personality traits, grounded in South Korean empirical studies. The system further incorporates an autonomous risk evaluation process to model escalation and derive personalized prevention strategies. Validation using national crime statistics and a survey with 102 participants shows that VishBox produces psychologically plausible deception patterns that are difficult for humans to distinguish from authentic cases. Simulated vulnerability distributions broadly align with real-world victimization patterns across age groups, while also revealing personality-driven risk scenarios that are underrepresented in incident statistics. Human risk ratings also mirrored the system’s turn-level estimates, confirming the realism of its escalation modeling. By providing a controlled, scalable environment for observing real-time manipulation, VishBox establishes a foundation for behavioral cybersecurity research, adaptive educational design, and evidence-driven policy development against evolving phishing threats.

Juvenile delinquency in India is progressively acknowledged as a socio-structural phenomenon rather than a mere outcome of individual deviance. Juvenile delinquency is a corollary of interrelated socio-economic, cultural, and legal determinants operating within a rapidly transforming society. This analytical review examines how poverty, structural inequality, educational disengagement, family instability, urbanization, migration, peer influence, and digital exposure shape patterns of juvenile offending in India. Drawing on national crime statistics, large-scale social surveys, interdisciplinary scholarly literature, and judicial decisions, the paper synthesizes evidence demonstrating how structural deprivation, weakened family and community institutions, and rapid socio-spatial transformations interact to heighten delinquency risks among children and adolescents. It further analyzes the legal determinants embedded in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, including age of criminal responsibility, transfer provisions for the 16–18 age group, procedural safeguards, and implementation gaps, alongside evolving judicial interpretations. Concluding that punitive measures alone are insufficient, this doctrinal research paper highlights the integrated, preventive, rights-based, and restorative strategies that strengthen families, schools, communities, and child-friendly justice mechanisms to address the root causes of juvenile delinquency in India.

The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, imposed by British colonial authorities in India, was a draconian law that branded entire communities as “hereditary criminals,” enforcing systematic surveillance, forced settlement, and social ostracization. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the Act’s origins, implementation, and enduring legacy. It begins by contextualizing the Act within India’s caste system, tracing how ancient religious codifications – from the Rigveda to the Manusmriti – established and justified a rigid hierarchy that colonial policies later exploited. We analyze the language and intent of the Act, illustrating how the British administration wielded it as an instrument to control nomadic and marginalized groups by presuming criminality by birth. The short-term impacts on Dalits (formerly “Untouchables”), Adivasis (indigenous tribes), and other minorities were severe: communities faced loss of land, curtailed freedoms, and state-sanctioned stigma, with an estimated thirteen million people across 127 communities directly affected by Independence. The Act’s long-term repercussions persisted well beyond its repeal in 1949, as independent India’s Habitual Offenders Act (1952) continued to profile and police these denotified tribes, entrenching cycles of poverty and prejudice. Crucially, this paper situates the Criminal Tribes Act in a comparative global context. Parallels are drawn to other systems of institutionalized oppression: the Jim Crow laws in the United States, which enforced a codified racial apartheid and denied African Americans basic rights; the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, whereby ~120,000 people (two-thirds U.S. citizens) were incarcerated without cause; and South Africa’s apartheid regime, which legally classified citizens by race to maintain white supremacy. These comparisons reveal common patterns of using the law to strip targeted groups of rights under the guise of “social order” or “national security.” The paper also examines modern surveillance measures – from preventive detention of Muslims under anti-terror laws to predictive policing technologies – arguing that the underlying logic of collective suspicion echoes the legacy of the 1871 Act in contemporary forms. Through extensive use of scholarly sources, including archival colonial reports and the writings of historians and anthropologists, as well as eyewitness accounts and recent news reports, we highlight how the narrative of “born criminals” created by the Act remains etched in societal attitudes. We incorporate historical data (caste-based census records, crime statistics) and present-day metrics (crime rates against Dalits, wealth and education disparities by caste) to visualize the enduring impact. Graphs and charts are used to illustrate trends such as the economic marginalization of Dalits and the racial disparities in incarceration that mirror caste inequalities. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that while the Criminal Tribes Act was repealed, its spirit survives in prejudices and legal practices worldwide. It calls for a critical re-examination of laws and social structures that continue to otherize and criminalize marginalized communities, advocating for reforms grounded in equality, restorative justice, and the protection of fundamental rights. The global legacy of the Criminal Tribes Act serves as a cautionary tale of how state power can perpetuate social stratification – and a reminder of the ongoing struggle to dismantle such oppressive systems.

In recent years India has witnessed intensified public debate around the dual phenomena of persistent violence against women and concerns about alleged misuse of laws enacted to protect women—especially in matrimonial and domestic contexts. This paper critically examines the societal and individual impacts of such alleged misuse on men and on broader social structures during 2024–2025. Drawing on official crime statistics, select judicial rulings, empirical studies, and media investigations, the study situates the controversy within evolving criminal justice practice and public discourse. It argues that while women’s protection laws (e.g., Section 498A IPC, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, and related provisions) remain essential for redress and deterrence, credible evidence of their misuse—where present—produces real harms: reputational damage, economic loss, psychological trauma for accused men and their families, erosion of trust in legal institutions, and polarized gender discourse. The paper analyses how courts and policy actors have responded (including procedural safeguards and reminders about due process), synthesizes quantitative and qualitative evidence on prevalence and outcomes, and offers policy recommendations to preserve effective protection for victims while minimizing opportunities for abuse. The paper concludes that reform must be evidence-driven, protect due process, bolster victim support, and reduce adversarial escalation through mediation and stronger investigatory standards.

Understanding the relationship between temperature, crime, and quality of life is crucial for addressing urban challenges and fostering sustainable development. While community safety is a key focus of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the link between temperature, property crime, and quality of life remains underexplored. Most studies emphasize violent crimes, neglecting property crimes and their nuanced interactions with environmental factors. Additionally, the indirect effects of temperature and crime on quality of life lack sufficient investigation. This study addresses these gaps by analysing the relationship between temperature, property crime, and quality of life using machine learning techniques, including, Generalized Linear Model, Support Vector Machine, Gradient Boosted Tree, Decision Tree and Random Forest algorithms. Data were collected from 317 face-to-face surveys in Taman Dato’ Senu, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, alongside official crime statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police. Results indicate that property crime significantly influences quality of life, whereas temperature shows minimal direct impact. These findings highlight the complex dynamics between climate and social behaviour and demonstrate the potential of machine learning for precise, data-driven insights to support urban planning and policy decisions in tropical cities.