The Offender/Acquitted

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Revealing Rape’s Many Voices

Abstract

This chapter hears voices from the diverse range of rape offenders and the inequalities they experience within the Criminal Justice System. This, to increase understanding of the offence and offenders, thus working towards a public protection agenda. The concepts of “himpathy” and “monsterising” as well as trajectories and typologies of offenders are considered. The offender’s pathway through the criminal justice system is followed, i.e. being in court, prison and their assessment and treatment. Stigma, public humiliation, shame, the mask of anger and rage, violence, and use of psychological defence mechanisms are discussed. Challenges upon release, reintegration, and reduced opportunities for the development of non-sexual offending future identities are introduced. The hope for potential redemption, for the offender and by the public and the consequences of hopelessness are explored. The role of probation services and the use of “Sexual Harm Prevention”/“Sexual Risk Orders” are explained and the voices of professionals working with offenders are captured.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    CPS data summary Quarter 3 2021–2022 | The Crown Prosecution Service

  2. 2.

    Offender management statistics quarterly: April to June 2021—GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

  3. 3.

    An account written by Colin for this book.

  4. 4.

    Brett Kavanaugh Opening Statement Transcript: Angry Response to Critics (businessinsider.com).

  5. 5.

    Interviewed by YS.

  6. 6.

    Measures blood flow to the penis, typically used as a proxy for measurement of sexual arousal.

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Brown, J., Shell, Y., Cole, T. (2023). The Offender/Acquitted. In: Revealing Rape’s Many Voices. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28616-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28616-2_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-28615-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-28616-2

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