The Taxonomy of Homicide

As a general rule, jurisdictions inside the US don't differentiate between homicide instances on the bases of the victim. That's to say, killing your uncle will obtain the identical charge and penalty as killing an individual who is not related to you, all other things being equal. Despite the fact that the judicial system doesn't generally care about this type of distinction, you will find people who do.

For 1 example, look at criminologists. These are researchers who're thinking about the psychology of crime. Are some folks a lot more most likely to break the law than others? What are people's motivations for the crimes they commit? If we presume that people today are born essentially great, then what could cause a criminal mind to develop over time? For people who are considering these questions, distinguishing between distinct forms of homicide can present vital insight into the nature of these crimes.

Besides criminologists, some people are thinking about the sociology of murder. How is homicide presented in the literature and artwork of different cultures and time periods? Inside a specific culture, are some murders considered worse than others? When is murder excusable? For these researchers, dividing homicides into different categories allows them to spot patterns and have an understanding of far more about the social mores of a given culture.

So what are the diverse kinds of homicide? So far criminologists along with other researchers have identified nicely over a dozen. Here are a few of one of the most widely studied kinds:

Parricide. This refers to the killing of 1 or each of one's own parents, or to a person who commits such a crime. In a lot of cultures all through history parricide has been considered worse than several other forms of homicide. This is commonly based on a belief that parents are to be revered by their children, so hurting them is an specifically egregious offense. Interestingly, the term may also refer to the killing of a father figure, which include the leader of one's country.

Regicide. This refers to the killing of a monarch, or the individual who does so. In the UK, the term is normally utilized to refer to monarchs who were executed after receiving a trial, so the term does not necessarily describe a crime. History and literature are both rich with examples of regicide, as absolute monarchies tend to be an unstable system of government.

Avunculicide. This is an interesting term referring to the highly particular crime of killing one's own uncle. Even though this is not a popular trouble in the contemporary US, you will discover much more example of it in history and literature than you may feel. Essentially the most well-known example is Shakespeare's Hamlet, who plotting to kill his uncle Claudius. Art contains many other examples, from Nabokov to the Lion King.

For a lot more details on homicide along with the law, contact Milwaukee criminal defense attorneys Kohler & Hart.