State Crimes

Green and Ward (2012) - define state crime as 'illegal or deviant activities perpetrated by, or with the complicity of, state agencies.' 

Why could it be deemed the most serious form of crime ?

1) The scale of state crime 

The state has enormous power which gives it the potential to inflict harm on a huge scale.

2) The state = source of law

• Can conceal its crimes and evade punishment 
• Undermines the system of justice and public faith in it 

McLaughin (2012) : 4 categories of state crime

• Political e.g censorship 
• Crimes by security and police forces e.g genocide, torture
• Economic crimes e.g violations of health and safety laws 
• Social and cultural crimes e.g institutional racism 

Case studies :

Genocide in Rwanda

War Crimes 

• Illegal wars - e.g US-led wars on terror in Iraq
• Crimes committed during war or its aftermath e.g torture…