A master thesis from Aalborg University
Kriminalisering af stalking: En undersøgelse af muligheder og begrænsninger i retliggørelsen af stalking
[The Criminalization of Stalking: An Examination of Possibilities and Limitations in the Legalization of Stalking]
Forfatter(e)
Semester
4. semester
Uddannelse
Udgivelsesår
2024
Afleveret
2024-08-07
Abstract
Stalking is a new phenomenon in the Danish legal system. On January 1st 2022, the stalking provision was introduced into the Criminal Code. The introduction took place on the basis of a desire from legislators to ensure better and faster protection of victims of stalking. This thesis has examined how section 242 of the Danish Criminal Code is used throughout the criminal justice process, and the potential and limitations in the legal formalization of stalking. Using data from the police system, the Prosecutor's Office, and the Criminal Register, we gained access to all stalking cases from 1. January 2022 to 31. December 2023. We have reviewed 23 court transcripts and observed two court cases concerning stalking to assess the practical application of the law. Additionally, we conducted expert interviews with three key persons in the field. The legislation, with its broad criminality requirements, is designed to handle various types of stalking behaviour. After two years of the law's implementation, 66 individuals have been convicted of stalking, while 116 have been acquitted. Of the 24 cases that resulted in convictions, only 11 were convicted in pure stalking cases. The most significant limitation for the criminal justice chain is the broad criminal law requirements, which allow for discretion and make it challenging for the police, prosecution, and courts to identify cases. Part of the offenders are not deterred by punishment and reoffend. The criminalization of stalking has limitations in protecting the vulnerable and combating stalking. The most effective way to prevent the behaviour and avoid recidivism is to strike a balance between legal sanctions and treatment interventions for stalkers. The independent criminalization of stalking can, however, send a signal about the seriousness of the crime and create moral barriers among the population, but this general preventive effect depends on how the law is applied and can only be assessed in the long term.
Emneord
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