ARTICLE
Female perpetrators of rape with particular cruelty
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Akademia Pedagogiki Specjalnej im. Marii Grzegorzewskiej, Instytut Psychologii, Zakład Psychologii Klinicznej Człowieka Dorosłego
Submission date: 2019-05-21
Final revision date: 2019-07-09
Acceptance date: 2019-08-07
Online publication date: 2021-02-28
Publication date: 2021-02-28
Psychiatr Pol 2021;55(1):53-70
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ABSTRACT
The primary objective of the study was an attempt to develop and present the characteristics of women committing rape with particular cruelty, taking into account the manner in which the female perpetrators have committed the acts, their motivations, as well as the circumstances of the crime. The objective of the study was also to provide information on who the aggrieved persons are and what the accountability of women before the court looks like (in particular, whether there are any differences in the reactions of the system to the acts committed by men and women). The first part sets out a brief note about criminality of women (including sexual criminality), whereas the second part presents the results of my research concerning cases of rape with particular cruelty committed by women. The research was conducted on the basis of the empirical data from criminal cases in which the conviction was based on Article 197 §4 of the Criminal Code and in which women were the perpetrators or co-perpetrators. Due to the particular nature of the offences, the research material included court files of cases which ended in a final and binding judgment. The analysis covered criminal cases in which a final and binding judgment was isseued in the years 2005–2012. In the analyzed cases, women took an active, aggressive and often times dominating role in both planning and execution of the act. All acts were committed jointly with men, and the women were under the influence of alcohol during the commission of the offence. The presented results of the study portray a “typical” female perpetrator of rape in a different light than previous studies did, however, it should be stressed that the results of the analysis should be further examined and extended by including cases not only of rape with particular cruelty, but other offences as well.