The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime
In Sweden several recent prostitution-related offences where the victims were women with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have created problems for criminal investigators and prosecutors. Based on court documents and interviews with police, prosecutors and social workers, and drawing upon Christie�...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Stockholm University Press
2013-07-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.sjdr.se/articles/394 |
| _version_ | 1797727497326952448 |
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| author | Jari Kuosmanen Mikaela Starke |
| author_facet | Jari Kuosmanen Mikaela Starke |
| author_sort | Jari Kuosmanen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Sweden several recent prostitution-related offences where the victims were women with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have created problems for criminal investigators and prosecutors. Based on court documents and interviews with police, prosecutors and social workers, and drawing upon Christie's notion of the ‘ideal victim’, four legal cases were analysed. Obtaining solid witness accounts from the victims was usually difficult. Several had a personal relationship with the defendant and were initially reluctant to provide a proper witness statement. Different types of psychological, social, and cognitive support had to be arranged to facilitate the process. As the analysis shows, there is a clear need to improve the skills and methods of professionals working within the legal system to ensure that the rights of individuals with IDs are properly met within the justice system, and that the quality of the police's work with them can stand up to scrutiny. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:00:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-795ea56b27044a119c51ccc4e523c4ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1501-7419 1745-3011 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:00:35Z |
| publishDate | 2013-07-01 |
| publisher | Stockholm University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-795ea56b27044a119c51ccc4e523c4ec2023-09-02T05:45:37ZengStockholm University PressScandinavian Journal of Disability Research1501-74191745-30112013-07-01171627510.1080/15017419.2013.813409323The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crimeJari Kuosmanen0Mikaela Starke1Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg, Box 720, SE-405 33 Göteborg, Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Social Work, University of Gothenburg, Box 720, SE-405 33 Göteborg, Gothenburg, SwedenIn Sweden several recent prostitution-related offences where the victims were women with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have created problems for criminal investigators and prosecutors. Based on court documents and interviews with police, prosecutors and social workers, and drawing upon Christie's notion of the ‘ideal victim’, four legal cases were analysed. Obtaining solid witness accounts from the victims was usually difficult. Several had a personal relationship with the defendant and were initially reluctant to provide a proper witness statement. Different types of psychological, social, and cognitive support had to be arranged to facilitate the process. As the analysis shows, there is a clear need to improve the skills and methods of professionals working within the legal system to ensure that the rights of individuals with IDs are properly met within the justice system, and that the quality of the police's work with them can stand up to scrutiny.https://www.sjdr.se/articles/394intellectual disability, judicial system, preliminary investigation, procuring, prostitution |
| spellingShingle | Jari Kuosmanen Mikaela Starke The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research intellectual disability, judicial system, preliminary investigation, procuring, prostitution |
| title | The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime |
| title_full | The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime |
| title_fullStr | The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime |
| title_short | The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime |
| title_sort | ideal victims women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution related crime |
| topic | intellectual disability, judicial system, preliminary investigation, procuring, prostitution |
| url | https://www.sjdr.se/articles/394 |
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