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No sun has shone : child homicide in New Zealand : an analysis of a small scale sample of cases 1980-2003 Moore, Elizabeth

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: 2005Description: 150 p.; 30 cmOther title:
  • A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in reepect of a Master of Arts degree in Criminology
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 362.76 MOO
Summary: Thesis (MA - Criminology) - Victoria University of Wellington, 2005. This thesis involves an analysis of 69 cases of child homicides that occurred in New Zealand from 1980 to 2003 and that are considered solved. The source material for the study was data obtained primarily from New Zealand Coroners' inquest files. Information gathering focused on the victims and their situations at the time of their deaths, rather than, as with other studies, the offenders and their stated or supposed motivations. Murder-suicide events were separated from homicides. Gender of both victims and perpetrators was examined, as well as victim's age and familial or other relationships to perpetrators. In 65 cases post-mortem examinations were available and showed, contrary to both international findings and the researcher's expectation that in only 15 cases (23%) was there evidence of on-going abuse prior to the crime. The principal finding of this study is that by focusing on the situation and factors surrounding the victims, rather than the offenders, a more complete picture of the child homicides emerges. The author argues that it is important to examine factors that are common among victims, rather than perpetrators, to be able to understand and therefore mitigate future child homicide. Because the data gathered in this study relates to only a sample of child homicides within the relevant period, the findings have to be treated with caution. The author suggests issues and themes for future research.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Notes Barcode
Thesis / dissertation Thesis / dissertation Vine library TRO 362.76 MOO Available Permission required for loan FV15100016

Thesis (MA - Criminology) - Victoria University of Wellington, 2005. This thesis involves an analysis of 69 cases of child homicides that occurred in New Zealand from 1980 to 2003 and that are considered solved. The source material for the study was data obtained primarily from New Zealand Coroners' inquest files. Information gathering focused on the victims and their situations at the time of their deaths, rather than, as with other studies, the offenders and their stated or supposed motivations. Murder-suicide events were separated from homicides. Gender of both victims and perpetrators was examined, as well as victim's age and familial or other relationships to perpetrators. In 65 cases post-mortem examinations were available and showed, contrary to both international findings and the researcher's expectation that in only 15 cases (23%) was there evidence of on-going abuse prior to the crime. The principal finding of this study is that by focusing on the situation and factors surrounding the victims, rather than the offenders, a more complete picture of the child homicides emerges. The author argues that it is important to examine factors that are common among victims, rather than perpetrators, to be able to understand and therefore mitigate future child homicide. Because the data gathered in this study relates to only a sample of child homicides within the relevant period, the findings have to be treated with caution. The author suggests issues and themes for future research.

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