I have to agree with Mike Palij (this is getting to be a habit) that women may operate differently (may tend to prefer poison for example) and crime statistics may beg the question a little.
So for example, women may be more the instigator/orchestrator in the Bernardo or Garrido case (for example) and are just as guilty as the man, but will probably get a lesser sentence. (I would say the woman could be just as guilty as the man if for example the man actually rapes the victim but the woman forced a gag in her mouth and held her down, or other such (instigation/orchestration scenarios). Also, regardless if the crime statistics show that men commit more violent crime, each legal case should be considered separately based on the evidence. The question was in this sense whether there is a social bias operating in the courtroom where women are seen as being less capable of such crimes which results in "confirmation bias" or "scenario completion" or something like that which tends to put more wieght on evidence which convicts the man as opposed to the woman. I didn't intend nor remotely suggest an international legal conspiracy. As for the more general social aspect, it seems from stories I've read that women are considered somehow less guilty than a man would be of the same crime. One example I happened on a couple of days ago was in a short write up in a local paper of a woman teacher convicted of sexual misconduct with a male minor. The write up made the point that it was the male which instigated the relationship (but that she should nevertheless have resisted his advances). Suggesting that in some way, it wasn't completely her fault. It may be anecdotal, but I can't even imagine that ever being mentioned where the perpetrator was a man and the victim an underage female. I imagine that there would be an outcry to even remotely suggest that the female minor was in any way responsible: the man is wholy and totally to blame. My personal view is that there is a bias where women are viewed as being less capable of crime and somehow more innocent when they are responsible (although I could be wrong). If there is such a bias (as my experience leads me to believe), is it because women ARE actually less capable of crimes (vile ones in particular) because they are women or is it a hold-over from days of chivalry (or is it a desire in men to protect women from unpleasant consequences). --Mike --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
