Women and Men who Committed Murder: Male/Female Psychopathic Homicides

The present study was designed to compare gender differences in psychiatric diagnosis with the dimension of psychopathy in women and men who had attempted or committed homicide. The study samples consisted of 39 homicidal females and 48 homicidal males who were confined in one of Italy’s REMS or prison facilities in two southern provinces of Italy (Puglia and Basilicata). Assessment instruments included the SCID-5, the PID-5 IRF, and the PCL-R. Each gender group was stratified according to the level of criminal responsibility for the homicidal offense (full, partial, absent), and after assessments, according to the degree of the psychopathic dimension. There were clear gender differences in homicidal individuals. Female offenders were less likely to have had a record of criminal charges/convictions or imprisonment, and their homicides were more often intrafamilial, victimizing especially of their children, whereas males targeted intimate partners and extrafamilial victims. In the entire group, there was an inverse relationship between the level of psychopathy and the personality disorder on one side, and the psychotic disturbance on the other. Factor 2 (lifestyle/antisocial dimension) of the PCL-R was higher among the homicidal males, whereas females tended to score higher on Factor 1 (the interpersonal/affective dimension). Finally, if the psychopathic dimension is a qualifier for antisocial personality disorder, as indicated in DSM-5, this appears to be less true for females who tend to have other personality disorders.     

论家庭成员间的杀人犯罪

家庭成员间的杀人犯罪是最为严重的家庭暴力犯罪。当前在农民家庭发生多、中老年作案多、夫妻间发生多及犯罪呈上升趋势等特点。造成家庭成员间杀人犯罪发生的原因有 :家庭矛盾不断激化、婚姻危机、迷信及邪教诱惑、封建家庭纲常伦理影响、赌博以及家庭教育方式不当等。预防家庭成员间杀人犯罪的发生应当从 :使全社会都重视家庭问题 ;树立健康向上的婚姻家庭观 ;构建化解家庭矛盾机制 ;建设家庭文化健全家庭教育功能四方面入手综合治理     

An Analysis of the Effects of Subjective and Objective Instruction Forms on Mock-Juries' Murder/Manslaughter Distinctions

Defendants' emotions at the time of their crimes may potentially serve as mitigating circumstances in murder/manslaughter cases. The present study examined whether differences between two forms of instructions given juries in such cases affected mock-juries' murder/manslaughter distinctions. Jurors' reasons for their verdicts and definitions of murder and manslaughter were also compared. In addition, three factors found to be predictive of murder/manslaughter distinctions in previous research were evaluated. It was found that, though instruction forms affected jurors' stated reasons for their verdicts and their definitions of murder and manslaughter, they did not significantly affect murder/manslaughter distinctions. Defendants were most likely to be convicted of murder if they had a history of violence with the victim and dwelt upon their emotions. We suggest jurors likely construe instructions given them to fit their a priori understandings of murder, manslaughter, and the potentially mitigating role of defendants' emotions.     

变态杀人案件的十大特点

近年来 ,我国的暴力犯罪呈上升趋势 ,其中不可忽视的一类案件就是变态杀人案件。对变态杀人案件的特点进行分析 ,是侦破此类案件的必要前提。     

Regulating human control over autonomous systems

In recent years, many sectors have experienced significant progress in automation, associated with the growing advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning. There are already automated robotic weapons, which are able to evaluate and engage with targets on their own, and there are already autonomous vehicles that do not need a human driver. It is argued that the use of increasingly autonomous systems (AS) should be guided by the policy of human control, according to which humans should execute a certain significant level of judgment over AS. While in the military sector there is a fear that AS could mean that humans lose control over life and death decisions, in the transportation domain, on the contrary, there is a strongly held view that autonomy could bring significant operational benefits by removing the need for a human driver. This article explores the notion of human control in the United States in the two domains of defense and transportation. The operationalization of emerging policies of human control results in the typology of direct and indirect human controls exercised over the use of AS. The typology helps to steer the debate away from the linguistic complexities of the term “autonomy.” It identifies instead where human factors are undergoing important changes and ultimately informs about more detailed rules and standards formulation, which differ across domains, applications, and sectors.     

预谋杀人案件侦查方向的确定

预谋杀人案件是与激情杀人案件相对的一种杀人案件。预谋杀人案件具有作案手段凶狠残酷，现场多，范围大，犯罪人通常具有一定反侦查能力等特点，侦查难度较大。侦查方向的确定是预谋杀人案件侦查工作的起点，也是预谋杀人案件侦查工作的重中之重。虽然预谋杀人案件形式多种多样，但归根结底，其本质是相同的。无论犯罪嫌疑人作案前如何掩饰自己的杀人动机，作案后如何伪装现场，甚至是销毁现场，总会留有一定的线索能够帮助公安机关正确确定侦查方向，开展侦查工作。     

O.J.'s defense: A reductio ad absurdum of the economics of Coase and Posner

A reductio ad absurdum takes the principles of a doctrine, applies them exactly as their creators did only to an entirely different subject and with horrendous results, and thus shows what absurd conclusions are logically compatible with the original thesis. This article applies the tenets of the Chicago law and economics tradition, as adumbrated by two of its most distinguished practitioners, Coase and Posner. It shows that on the basis of this canon a case can be made out for freeing O.J. Simpson—even if he did indeed kill his wife. The article is an attempt to show that the libertarian reliance on personal and private property rights is a much more robust thesis than the Chicago precept of wealth maximization.     

对十八起未破命案的反思

本文从出租车命案侵害客体、对象和命案犯罪主体及侦破主体等角度出发,较为全面地反思和总结了兰州市公安局交通治安分局2000￣2005年18起未破命案积案的成因。     

Severe Mental Illness,Somatic Delusions,and Attempted Mass Murder

A case of an attempted mass shooting at a large psychiatric hospital in the United States by a 30‐year‐old male with severe mental illness, somatic delusions, and exceptional access to healthcare professionals is reported. Six persons were shot, one died at the scene, and the shooter was then killed by the police. Data were gathered from court documents and media accounts. An analysis of the shooter's psychiatric history, his interactions with healthcare professionals, and communications prior to the shooting suggest a rare form of mass murder, a random attack by a documented psychotic and delusional individual suffering with somatic delusions. Despite his being psychotic, the killer planned the attack and made a direct threat 1 month prior to the shootings. This case highlights problems with the healthcare system, indicating that it might be ill equipped to appropriately deal with severe mental illness.     

浅析杀人案件现场中血迹的勘验

血迹既是杀人案件现场的痕迹,又是物证,具有非常重要的犯罪证据价值和鉴定作用。有些侦查员采用了不当的勘验方法,或对现场血迹的重要性认识不够,经常会在勘查现场时留下遗憾。对杀人案件现场血迹的勘验,应从杀人案件现场中血迹的特点、血迹的发现、血迹的勘验、血迹的分析和血迹的提取五个方面入手。