Homicide - To Kill a Human Being
What is homicide? Homicide
can be simply defined as the act of killing
another human being. While the term homicide by itself does not
necessarily
pertain to an illegal act, many jurisdictions use the term in a
criminal
context.
Any
form of killing humans regardless of the
offender’s relation to the victim/s, or the number of
victims, or the legality
or justifiability of the act can be referred to as homicide. Murder,
involuntary manslaughter, and voluntary manslaughter can all be
generally classified
as homicide.
Quick
Facts on Homicide
- Most
homicide cases are committed using handguns. The levels of gun-related
homicide usually by teens and young adults rose significantly during
the mid-80s to the early 90s, but declined after 1993.
- The
number of justifiable homicides in recent years has declined by 11%.
- Majority
of homicide perpetrators and victims are male. Black males, aged 18-24,
have the highest homicide victimization rates.
- Young
adults, aged 18-24, had the highest homicide victimization rates in
recent years unlike in the 1970s when people over 25 years had the
highest victimization rates. Young adults also have the highest
offending rates.
- Blacks
are 6 times more likely to be victims of homicide than whites.
- While
homicide cases are more likely to have multiple offenders than multiple
victims, such cases are still relatively few. Homicides with multiple
victims usually have handguns as weapons.
- The
Southern regions in the United States have higher homicide rates,
particularly gun-related homicides.
- More
than half of homicide cases in the US happen in cities with populations
of more than 100,000 people.
Justifying
Homicide
The
concept of justifying the act of homicide lies
on the Libertarian principle that a person can only be held liable for
his
actions if the act is performed with a guilty mind and that the
individual has
chosen to break the law.
Throughout
history, the concepts of jealousy and
defense of property and oneself have been the underlying reason for
justifying the
act of homicide. Nevertheless, many modern excuses for committing
homicide also
appear. Some of these include:
- War.
A soldier can kill another soldier without being held responsible for
the act of killing.
- Capital
Punishment or Death Penalty. The judge who passes the verdict and the
prison guards who delivered the execution are not liable for the death
of the accused.
- Self-Defense.
Anyone who commits homicide to protect his/her life and/or limb,
property, or to prevent sexual assault can be exempt from criminal
liability provided the victim’s response is proportional to
the attack.
- Crime
of Passion. Cases where an individual suddenly loses control due to
provocation either by words or action may at times lead to justifiable
homicide.
- Necessity.
Particularly in medical scenarios, a surgeon may have to end the life
of the weaker of a conjoined twin to save the other.
- Law
Enforcement. The police force and other law enforcement agencies may
sometimes need to use force resulting in homicide to protect society in
general.
- Abortion.
In cases where the fetus or unborn child is considered a living
individual, abortion is considered a form of homicide. Legal abortion
can therefore be treated as justifiable homicide.
===
We all want to think we are safe but are we? If you want to know more
about the
different types of crimes committed today, RecordsSiteReviews.com
is offering FREE ACCESS to
its Criminal
Records Information section.
If you have a nagging suspicion on someone, run
a criminal check on him or
her today !
|