The Court for Sexual Offences: perceptions of the families of the victims of sexual offences

This article aims to evaluate the degree to which the Court for Sexual Offences in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa and associated auxiliary institutions meet the needs of the families of the victims of sex-crimes. The perceptions of 24 family members of victims were obtained. These individuals generally perceived the functioning of the Court and its auxiliary institutions in a positive light. However, perceptions of the time that cases took to come to trial and the standard of post-trial interaction between the Court and the families was not positive. A need for more effective victim-care at both social and psychological levels was identified. Future psycho-legal research possibilities in this largely neglected field are highlighted.     

The court for sexual offences: perceptions of the perpetrators of sexual offences

This article explores the largely hereunto-ignored perceptions of the offenders within the specialist sex-courts in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. Various factors potentially affecting such perceptions within this group of individuals are identified by way of theoretical orientation. Respondents were inclined to view the Court for Sexual Offences as biased in process and excessively punitive with regard to sentencing. The specialist sex-court was also perceived to be inefficient and slow. Female prosecutors were judged to be overly involved in cases to the extent that their objectivity was impaired. The need for additional research in various related areas is also explored.     

The court for sexual offences: perceptions of the professionals involved

This article evaluates the functioning of the Court for Sexual Offences in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa at the hand of the perceptions of those professionals most frequently involved with the Court. The findings suggest that professionals involved with this court tend to be positive in their appraisals of the sex-court system. However, the ability of the sex-court to remain objective and to reduce secondary victimization is called into question. Misconceptions with regard to the Court's current ability to contribute to the rehabilitation of offenders and the emotional recovery of the victims were exposed. The operational difficulties facing sex-court personnel are discussed and directions for future research are identified.     

Court outcomes among female juveniles with sexual offences

ABSTRACT

Female juveniles with sexual offences (FJSOs) are an understudied population. The current study compares FJSOs with their male counterparts and evaluates whether male and female juveniles with sexual offences from different family types have similar charges and court outcomes. Data were obtained from a statewide court dataset in Alabama from 2004 to 2014 (n?=?205 females, 2816 males). Participants were categorised by offence category, family type, and court outcome. Chi-square tests and hierarchical logistic regressions were conducted to test for differences in offence patterns and court outcomes by gender and family type, respectively. Females committed less severe offences and received less severe punishments for a given offence compared with males. Family type and two-way interactions between family type, gender, and offence severity played limited roles in offence patterns and in court sentencing. Disposition patterns in females point towards the feasibility of providing more services for all juveniles with sexual offences.     

Examining the relationship between sexual offenders and their victims: Interpersonal differences between stranger and non-stranger sexual offences

Abstract

The present study examined the behavioural differences in sexual assault offences in relation to the offender–victim relationship (stranger versus non-stranger). These differences were examined specifically in the context of four interpersonal themes of interaction: dominance, submission, hostility and cooperation. The details of 100 sexual offence cases (50 stranger and 50 non-stranger) were content-analysed, generating 58 dichotomous variables, covering offender and victim behaviour during the offence. χ² tests comparing the two samples found that offenders who were strangers to their victims were more likely than non-stranger offenders to display behaviours that indicate a hostile, violent offence style. In contrast, those offenders who knew their victims were more likely than strangers to display a less violent and more personal, compliance-gaining offence style. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for offender rehabilitation and victim support.     

The Pornographic Context of Sexual Offences: Reflections on the Contemporary Sexual Mentality

This essay-like article explores the pornographic context of sexual violence. The analysis is based on Giddens' book about the development of intimacy and sexuality in late modernity. Sexual morality nowadays combines a tolerant mentality towards pornography and a claim for prudence in the daily relationship between the sexes. This 'schizophrenic' moral situation gives a special meaning to sexual violence, which can be seen as a realisation of pornographic humiliation and as a rude offending of the norm of equality in modern relationships. The strong consensus on the protection against child pornography and paedophile violence stems from this paradoxical situation. The radical development taking place in our sexual mentality is placed within the context of relationships that are becoming more equal, and against the background of the resulting higher standards set for partners.     

Sexual assault nurse examiners' perceptions of the revictimization of rape victims

While Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs have improved the treatment of rape victims by offering more compassionate and thorough treatment, SANEs believe victims continue to face revictimization by the medical, criminal justice and legal systems. The purpose of this research is to explore SANEs' perceptions of the revictimization of rape victims by the police, legal system and medical system. Data from interviews with 39 Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners from four East Coast states reveal that most SANEs believe that the medical, criminal justice, and legal systems wield the power to revictimize rape victims. SANEs were more likely to cite the criminal justice system as a source of revictimization, followed by the medical system and legal system. According to SANEs, police contribute to victims' distress through failure to ask questions in a sensitive manner, failure to proceed with investigations, and by asking victim-blaming questions. Revictimization by the legal system results when charges are never filed, cases are postponed or dropped, plea bargains are unsatisfactory, and victims' character and credibility are questioned. Revictimization by the medical system is marked by long waits for medical attention.     

The value of the medico-legal examination in sexual offences

A review is presented of medico-legal examinations performed on two series of rape and attempted rape in 1975 and 1980 with a total of 74 victims. Judicial outcome was known in 93% of the cases and is compared with the results of the medico-legal examinations. Between the two series, public discussions and pressure from feminist movements concerning the procedure in rape cases together with modifications of civil penal code resulted in alterations of police practice. Eighteen percent of known offenders in 1975 and 42% in 1980 were charged, 50% and 90%, respectively, of these were convicted. A correlation between the judicial outcome and the results of the medico-legal examination was not found in all cases. The importance of psychological guidance to the victim at the medico-legal examination is stressed.     

Treatment programmes for adolescents who commit sexual offences: Dropout and recidivism

This paper reviews the state of research into treatment programmes for adolescent sexual offenders, focusing first on treatment dropout, then on recidivism studies. Pre-treatment variables, which may predict dropout from programmes for these adolescents, have hardly been considered, despite obvious financial and ethical implications. In relation to recidivism studies, these have been carried out quite consistently since the mid 1980s, yet, as is discussed, they still suffer from many methodological problems. The authors also note that research into treatment programmes comes almost exclusively from North America. Thus, such research needs replicating with UK samples in order to assure the applicability of any research findings to this population.     

Comparing persons found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder for sexual offences versus nonsexual violent offences

Using data from the National Trajectory Project, we compared 50 individuals found Not Criminally Responsible on account of Mental Disorder (NCRMD) for sexual offences with 50 age- and gender-matched individuals found NCRMD for nonsexually violent offences. We also described the concurrent offenses, the symptoms at the time of the offense and the characteristics of the victims of offenders found NCRMD for sexual offences. Persons found NCRMD for sexual offences were less likely to be employed and were significantly younger at time of first psychiatric contact, but did not differ in other sociodemographic characteristics, other aspects of their psychiatric histories or in criminal history. Despite no differences in recidivism and no differences in behaviours between Review Board hearings when adjusting for unequal time at risk, persons found NCRMD for sexual offences had longer tenures under a Review Board mandate than persons found NCRMD for nonsexually violent offences. Given the many similarities between the two groups, this finding suggests that Review Boards may be unnecessarily conservative in how they manage sexual offenders.     

泰国最高法院关于国家公职人员刑事诉讼程序的规定

根据1999年组织法条例第18条关于国家公职人员刑事诉讼的授权规定,经最高法院全体会议批准,为了最高法院刑事审判庭启动国家公职人员诉讼程序,最高法院院长由此发     

Child sex tourism: American perceptions of foreign victims

Child sex tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry that affects over 2 million children per year. While thousands of these sex tourists are American, this has been an issue that is largely neglected in the United States (U.S.). This study investigated Americans’ perceptions of child sex abuse and its relationship to the offense location and the victim’s culture. An online self-report survey randomly assigned subjects to one of three identical vignettes of child sex tourism, differing only by location: U.S., Netherlands, or Thailand. The study found that individuals perceived sexual offenses committed inside the U.S. as more severe than offenses committed outside the U.S. and that sexual crimes were viewed as less severe when occurring in an Eastern “Other” culture as compared to Western cultures. These results are discussed as they pertain to legislative efforts designed to reduce the prevalence of American child sex tourists as well as the creation of measures to increase awareness of Americans’ involvement in the child sex tourism industry.     

Domestic Sexual Assault: A New Opportunity for Court Response

Based on research conducted for the State Justice Institute, this article examines the invisibility of domestic sexual assault—also known as intimate partner sexual assault or spousal, wife, or marital rape—from the perspective of community and court responses to domestic violence and sexual assault. The article identifies the consequences of invisibility of domestic sexual assault, including the potential for lethality, and offers suggestions to courts for improving outcomes for victims and perpetrators. Areas explored include data collection and analysis, judicial leadership, and specialization in victim response systems, law enforcement and prosecution, court management, and offender intervention.     

Sexual coercion among adolescents: victims and perpetrators

Adolescence is a transitional period when the pressure to engage in romantic and sexual relationships can leave teenagers feeling confused and at risk for sexual coercion. Our studies investigated characteristics of male and female perpetrators and victims of peer sexual coercion, focusing on self-esteem, sexist attitudes, and involvement in nonsexual deviant behaviors, such as drugs and alcohol. The participants, all of whom were in Grades 8 to 11, were from Quebec, Canada. They completed self-report measures. Female victims had lower self-esteem and more sexist attitudes than other female participants, whereas male perpetrators had more sexist attitudes than other male participants. Furthermore, all victims and perpetrators were more likely to be involved in other types of nonsexual deviance.     

Making It Count: Sexual Offences,Evidential Sufficiency,and the Mentally Disordered Complainant

Sexual offences are notoriously difficult to prove, even without the added evidential difficulties posed by a key prosecution witness with mental health problems. Yet, according to the annually published criminal justice statistics, the conviction rate for sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder is, on average, around three times greater than that for rape. This article begins by scrutinising the plausibility of such a counter-intuitive proposition, concluding that the greater success implied by the statistics is likely to be more apparent than real. In the process of reaching this conclusion, challenging questions surrounding the prosecution of sex cases involving mentally disordered complainants are raised. These substantive and practical issues are explored in a critical analysis of new empirical data and reported cases.     

The Reasonable Woman Standard: Effects on Sexual Harassment Court Decisions

Some federal courts have used a reasonable woman standard rather than the traditional reasonable man or reasonable person standard to determine whether hostile environment sexual harassment has occurred. The current research examined the impact of the reasonable woman standard on federal district court decisions, controlling for other factors found to affect sexual harassment court decisions. Results indicated that there was a weak relationship between whether a case followed a reasonable woman precedent-setting case and the likelihood that the court decision favored the plaintiff. The implications of our findings for individuals and organizations involved in sexual harassment claims are discussed.