The content of competence tests: Queensland judicial perspectives on non-accused child witnesses in criminal proceedings: Part 2

Part 1 appeared in UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND LAW JOURNAL 22 (2) 2003 : 199-223 (AGIS 04/2890) - judicial perspectives on the content of competence tests for sworn and unsworn evidence - substantive criteria may vary according to whether a child is to testify sworn or unsworn - formal framing may vary given a judicial appraisal of a child's capacity and understanding - referability of competence tests to the Queensland legislation.

Criminal offending in schizophrenia over a 25-year period marked by deinstitutionalization and increasing prevalence of comorbid substance use disorders

Objective: This study examined the pattern of criminal convictions in persons with schizophrenia over a 25-year period marked by both radical deinstitutionalization and increasing rates of substance abuse problems among persons with schizophrenia in the community. Method: The criminal records of 2,861 patients (1,689 of whom were male) who had a first admission for schizophrenia in the Australian state of Victoria in 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1995 were compared for the period from 1975 to 2000 with those of an equal number of community comparison subjects matched for age, gender, and neighborhood of residence. Results: Relative to the comparison subjects, the patients with schizophrenia accumulated a greater total number of criminal convictions (8,791 versus 1,119) and were significantly more likely to have been convicted of a criminal offense (21.6% versus 7.8%) and of an offense involving violence (8.2% versus 1.8%). The proportion of patients who had a conviction increased from 14.8% of the 1975 cohort to 25.0% of the 1995 cohort, but a proportionately similar increase from 5.1% to 9.6% occurred among the comparison subjects. Rates of known substance abuse problems among the schizophrenia patients increased from 8.3% in 1975 to 26.1% in 1995. Significantly higher rates of criminal conviction were found for patients with substances abuse problems than for those without substance abuse problems (68.1% versus 11.7%). Conclusions: A significant association was demonstrated between having schizophrenia and a higher rate of criminal convictions, particularly for violent offenses. However, the rate of increase in the frequency of convictions over the 25-year study period was similar among schizophrenia patients and comparison subjects, despite a change from predominantly institutional to community care and a dramatic escalation in the frequency of substance abuse problems among persons with schizophrenia. The results do not support theories that attempt to explain the mediation of offending behaviors in schizophrenia by single factors, such as substance abuse, active symptoms, or characteristics of systems of care, but suggest that offending reflects a range of factors that are operative before, during, and after periods of active illness.

Transnational organised crime and the International Criminal Court developments and debates

Limitation to jurisdiction of International Criminal Court (ICC) - proposal to strengthen the universal criminalisation of transnational organised crimes by enabling them to be prosecuted through an international authority - debate on whether existing offences under the ICC Statute encompass certain transnational organised crimes - whether the Statute should be expanded to include crimes that have been recognised in international treaties.

COMPREENSÃO DA VULNERABILIDADE CRIMINAL FEMININA A PARTIR DA ANÁLISE DO CARÁTER

O presente estudo teve por objetivos a) identificar aspectos da história de vida pessoal, das etapas de desenvolvimento evolutivo e das relações familiares e afetivas de mulheres que cumprem pena em regime fechado, com o intuito de colher elementos significativos e contributivos para a compreensão da vulnerabilidade criminal feminina; b) realizar uma análise sistematizada do caráter, segundo abordagem de Wilhelm Reich, a partir do conteúdo do discurso clínico dessas mulheres. Para tal foram estudados três casos de mulheres reclusas em regime fechado no Centro de Ressocialização Feminino, na cidade de São José do Rio Preto, que respondem pelos artigos 33 e 35 da Lei 11343/06, que refere-se ao tráfico de drogas ilícitas e a associação para o crime, e artigo 157 do Código Penal Brasileiro, que refere-se a roubo. O conteúdo das entrevistas realizadas indicou graves dificuldades no crescimento e desenvolvimento por ambiente desfavorável e por relações psico-afetivas empobrecidas ou insatisfatórias. Encontrou-se em comum nos casos estudados, segundo uma análise reichiana, indicativos de fixação na oralidade, ou seja, traços orais insatisfatórios relacionados à primeira infância, indicando pouca referência identificatória que lhes oferecesse base para defenderem-se da realidade. Entendeu-se que tais falhas desenvolvimentais podem indicar vulnerabilidade para ações criminais como forma de defesa contra angústia, fazendo com que atuem de forma mais imediata ou impulsiva na busca de satisfação.

Reincidência Criminal sob o Enfoque dos Processos Psicossociais

Este estudo teve como objetivo pesquisar a reincidência criminal por meio de três estudos exploratórios. No primeiro foi utilizado o Perfil do Detento no Estado de São Paulo, ano de 2003, documento elaborado pela Secretaria da Administração Penitenciaria, selecionando-se dele a população de 1.280 sujeitos do gênero masculino do Presídio Desembargador "Adriano Marrey" de Guarulhos. Foram encontradas prováveis associações à reincidência criminal nos seguintes fatores: idade, número de delitos cometidos e escolaridade. No segundo utilizou-se um levantamento aleatório, através do número de matrícula dos presos, que atingiu 11% dos 1.654 registrados e classificados em 2004. Os dados dos prontuários criminológicos dessa população carcerária, que foi de 182 sujeitos, foram comparados aos do primeiro estudo. Os resultados corroboraram tendências de associação entre idade, escolaridade, números de delitos e reincidência criminal. No terceiro estudo foram analisados 30 protocolos do Teste do Desenho da Figura Humana (DFH) aplicados em sentenciados do gênero masculino que tinham entre 18 e 35 anos de idade, condenados pelo artigo 157§2° do Código Penal Brasileiro (Assalto a Mão Armada), em regime inicialmente fechado. Esta investigação teve como objetivo conhecer as características de personalidade das pessoas que cometeram crimes. Encontraram-se alguns traços de personalidade que podem estar associados à criminalidade ou a reincidência.Não foram detectadas características psicóticas, mas perturbações e desvios na sexualidade, agressividade, imaturidade, dificuldade de elaboração de frustrações. Estes resultados podem alicerçar o uso das técnicas projetivas nas entrevistas de inclusão. Para tanto se propõe o uso do Desenho da Figura Humana de Machover (1949), com análise proposta por Lourenção Van Kolck (1984). Na discussão dos resultados e nas conclusão foram retomados os fatores que se apresentaram associados à reincidência e alguns temas que se mostraram de interesse para outras pesquisas no campo da psicologia criminal ou penitenciária. Pretendeu-se buscar subsídios que pudessem contribuir para a prevenção da reincidência, com base numa compreensão psicossocial do comportamento criminoso e sempre sob o enfoque da psicologia da saúde. As pessoas envolvidas na execução da pena deverão dar mais ênfase à entrevista de inclusão para cumprir o que determina a Lei de Execução Penal, executando o exame de classificação

Decision support and the criminal justice system:an assessment of the potential for utilising technological decision support in undertaking the prosecutorial decision

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

Cyberstalking:a new challenge for criminal law

Cyberstalking has recently emerged as a new and growing problem and is an area that will probably receive a higher profile within criminal law as more cases reach court (see Griffiths, 1999; Griffiths, Rogers and Sparrow, 1998; Bojic and McFarlane, 2002a; 2002b). For the purposes of this article we define cyberstalking as the use of information and communications technology (in particular the Internet) in order to harass individuals. Such harassment may include actions such as the transmission of offensive e-mail messages, identity theft and damage to data or equipment. Whilst a more comprehensive definition has been presented elsewhere (Bocij and McFarlane, 2002), it is hoped that the definition here is sufficient for those unfamiliar with this field. The stereotypical stalker conjures up images of someone harassing a victim who is the object of their affection. However, not all stalking incidents are motivated by unrequited love. Stalking can also be motivated by hate, a need for revenge, a need for power and/or racism. Similarly, cyberstalking can involve acts that begin with the issuing of threats and end in physical assault. We also make distinctions between conventional stalking and cyberstalking. Whilst some may view cyberstalking as an extension of conventional stalking, we believe cyberstalking should be regarded as an entirely new form of deviant behaviour. It is not surprising that cyberstalking is sometimes thought of as a trivial problem. A number of writers and researchers have suggested that cyberstalking and associated activities are of little genuine concern. Koch (2000), for example, goes as far as accusing those interested in cyberstalking as promoting hysteria over a problem that may be minuscule or even imaginary. The impression gained is that cyberstalking represents a relatively small problem where victims seldom suffer any real harm. Whilst there are no genuinely reliable statistics that can be used to determine how common cyberstalking incidents are, a great deal of evidence is available to show that cyberstalking is a significant and growing problem (Griffiths et al, 1998). For instance, CyberAngels (a well-known Internet safety organization) receives some 500 complaints of cyberstalking each day, of which up to 100 represent legitimate cases (Dean, 2000). Another Internet safety organization (Working to Halt Online Abuse) reports receiving an average of 100 cases per week (WHOA, 2001). To highlight the types of cyberstalking behaviours that take place and some of the major issues facing criminal law, we briefly examine four high profile cases of cyberstalking (adapted from Bocij and MacFarlane, 2002b).

The social media paradox:an intersection with freedom of expression and the criminal law

This article begins by setting out the human rights provisions that apply to social media expression. It then provides insight into the part social media plays within our society by analysing the social media landscape and how it facilitates a ‘purer’ form of expression. The social media paradox is explored through the lens of current societal issues and concerns regarding the use of social media and how these have manifested into litigation. It concludes by analysing the tension that the application of an array of criminal legislation and jurisprudence has created with freedom of expression, and whether this can successfully mitigated by the Director of Public Prosecution’s Interim Guidelines.

Society of Legal Scholars Criminal Justice Section Response to Sexual Offences Guideline Consultation (Sentencing Council Consultation 2012-2013)

Consultation Report

Organized crime legislation in the European Union. Harmonization and approximation of criminal law, national legislations and the EU framework decision on the fight against organised crime, by Francesco Calderoni

Book review: Heidelberg, Dordrecht, London, and New York, Springer, 2010, 189 pp., £93.55 (hardcover), ISBN 978-3-642-04330-7, e-ISBN 978-3-642-04331-4