Volume 90 Issue 4 (August) 2007

Content

Articles

»... dann habe ich ihm auch schon eine geschmiert.«
Autoritätserhalt und Eskalationsangst als Ursachen polizeilicher Gewaltausübung
[»…, then I just gave him a slap«
Keeping authority und fearing escalation as causes of police use of force]

Summary
In modern society police is the central institution prepared and entitled to exercise physical violence. Law not only allows the use of force, it also demands it in certain situations. Police is prepared, trained and equipped to use force; however, it is not clear whether training and equipment are sufficient to ensure the intended minimum use of force referring to a civil society. Even in an international perspective, use of force by and against police officers is a rare event. Nevertheless, force may be used at any time and in any situation, when police and citizens get into contact. The article gives an overview of prior research and presents results from an empirical study in Germany on the individual and collective legitimization of the use of force by police officers, the study itself being part of an international research project.

Keywords: Physical violence by and against police officers, legitimization of the use of force, interviews, focus groups

pp. 285-303

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Justizieller Zwang, Motivation und Therapieerfolg
Eine Evaluationsstudie
[Coercion, Motivation and Treatment Outcome
An evaluation study]

Summary
In the course of the european research project »QCT-Europe« the effectiveness of quasi-compulsory treatment measures for drug dependent offenders was evaluated. Legally coerced and voluntary drug treatment clients of six different austrian treatment centers were interviewed at treatment entry and 18 months later. Hardly any differences were found when comparing the two groups regarding treatment process and effectiveness at the follow-up. The results support the use of quasi-compulsory measures for drug dependent offenders.

Keywords: Coercion, motivation, quasi-compulsory treatment outcome

pp. 304-316

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Kriminologische und diagnostische Merkmale von Häftlingen mit angeordneter Sicherungsverwahrung
[Criminological and Diagnostic Characteristics of Detainees With the Order of Preventive Detention]

by Elmar Habermeyer, Peter Puhlmann, Daniel Passow and Knut Vohs

Summary
With a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) expert testimonies and judges of 100 lawsuits of the years 1991 to 2001, who lead to the order of Preventive Detention in the German federal state of Northrine Westfalia, were analysed. Offenders with the order of Preventive Detention have mostly committed violent and/or sexual offences. Nearly two third of the inmates show personality traits with relevance for psychiatry, or even personality disorders. Thus the discrimination between forensic psychiatric measurements and preventive detention is difficult. The minimal standards, which were formulated by an interdisciplinary group at the German Federal Court for the survey of personality disorders, can help to identify offenders, with diminished criminal responsibility. Professional delinquents or criminal responsible offenders with antisocial personality traits are the target group of Preventive Detention.

Keywords: Preventive detention, criminal responsibility, forensic psychiatry, personality disorders

pp. 317-330

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Zur Manipulierbarkeit von Affektdelikten
[Manipulability of Crimes of Passion]

Summary
»Crimes of passion« are the most problematic area within the forensic practice and have been controversially discussed for several decades. Now they are differentiated from »impulsive crimes« and relieved from the tight corset of the legal construct »profound disturbance of consciousness«. However, ambiguities and inaccuracies remain when searching a way out of the »trilemma of criminal responsibility« which includes the question »Criminal responsibility? Diminished criminal responsibility? Criminal irresponsibility?«. It is the judge who has to answer that question, yet he needs the help of a forensic psychiatric expert. If the psychiatric expert classifies a crime as a »crime of passion« according to the described orienting features, normally a substantial impairment of the offender’s ability to control his acts in accordance with the rational judgement will be assumed. In case of fatal crimes of passion the psychiatric expert is confronted with the problem of the information monopoly by the offender, who is the only witness of what had happened, and who therefore can manipulate the description of the offence for his own benefit by simulating several aspects of a crime of passion. This is demonstrated by a unique case study. Insofar, the psychiatric expert’s recommendation to the court always needs to be made unter the condition »if the offender’s statements are in accordance with the facts …«.

Keywords: Crime of passion, impulsive crime, disturbance of consciousness, criminal responsibility, information monopoly

pp. 331-340

Coming Events

Privatisierung in der Strafrechtspflege
Fachtagung der Kriminologischen Zentralstelle Wiesbaden (KrimZ), 3.-4.12.2007 in Wiesbaden

p. 341

Crime, Crime Prevention and Communities in Europe
7th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, September 26-29, 2007 in Bologna/Italy

p. 341

Book Reviews

Strafvollzug - Straf- und Maßnahmenvollzug an Erwachsenen in der Schweiz
Stämpfli Verlag, Bern 2005, 340 Seiten, SF 82,-, € 54,20

pp. 342-344

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100 Jahre Frauenkriminalität
Die quantitative und qualitative Entwicklung der weiblichen Delinquenz von 1902 bis 2002
Peter Lang Europäischer Verlag der Wissenschaften, Frankfurt am Main u.a. 2006, 289 Seiten, € 51,50

pp. 344-347

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Typisierung von Sexualstraftätern
Ein empirisches Modell zur Generierung typenspezifischer Behandlungsansätze
Kriminologische Forschungsberichte des Max-Planck-Instituts für ausländisches und internationales Strafrecht, Band K 132, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2006, 211 Seiten, € 31,-

pp. 347-350