State crime

State crime

Defined by criminologists Green and Ward as illegal or deviant activities perpetrated by state agencies

Typical offenders

Usually, high ranking government officials under the order of the countries regime

E.g. genocide

Also included activities perpetrated by or by order of state agencies

Torture – extract confessions or information from prisoners

Police brutality – EG assaulting peaceful protesters

Imprisonment without trial

War crimes – e.g. bombing of a civilian population

Political crimes – election rigging and corruption by politicians

Typical victims

Tend to be citizens of the country or potentially those of a different religion or political view than the government.

Can be the members of another state

Level of public awareness

Usually high as the crimes are very extreme and the media cover them.

Some states are very powerful and are often able to conceal their crimes for example, through censoring the media or bypassing laws that justify their actions

State crime (criminal/deviant?)

Clearly deviant as they go against the wide accepted standards of behaviour

On most definitions they are crimes but states can make their own laws and define their actions as not criminal

However, the international criminal court can try those accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity

Examples of state crime

Corruption.

Discrimination

War crimes

Funding terrorism

Funding organised crime

Assassination