(((From a first year Criminology 1100 class. A brief look into the biological, psychological, and sociological explanations of a brutal murder case in Canada.)))
Introduction
"Why?" Mrs. Findlay asked Jeremy Vojkovic, who attacked the mother of three minutes after she waved goodbye to her husband and children on a Tuesday morning 16 months ago. She posed the question after Mr. Vojkovic sexually assaulted her in the loft of the barn. He was putting her clothes back on and binding her wrists. Duct tape already covered her eyes. "It doesn't matter," Mr. Vojkovic replied. "Just be quiet" (Armstrong, 2004).
The Vojkovic case has enraged the hearts of many. The Findlay family, with strong social ties to the community, was dealt a devastating blow with the loss of Colleen Findlay. Upon the public hearing the accounts of what transpired, came about the discussion of the death penalty. The debate has slowly been gaining strength as a recent survey suggests that over sixty percent of British Columbian’s are in favor (Mackenzie, 2004). However, for this case, the public has only heard the accounts of what transpired on the day of the murder. Many people have passed judgment without considering the biological explanations for what occurred. Were these the actions of a cold and calculated murder or the manifestation of a teenager with impaired cognitive traits?
Introduction
"Why?" Mrs. Findlay asked Jeremy Vojkovic, who attacked the mother of three minutes after she waved goodbye to her husband and children on a Tuesday morning 16 months ago. She posed the question after Mr. Vojkovic sexually assaulted her in the loft of the barn. He was putting her clothes back on and binding her wrists. Duct tape already covered her eyes. "It doesn't matter," Mr. Vojkovic replied. "Just be quiet" (Armstrong, 2004).
The Vojkovic case has enraged the hearts of many. The Findlay family, with strong social ties to the community, was dealt a devastating blow with the loss of Colleen Findlay. Upon the public hearing the accounts of what transpired, came about the discussion of the death penalty. The debate has slowly been gaining strength as a recent survey suggests that over sixty percent of British Columbian’s are in favor (Mackenzie, 2004). However, for this case, the public has only heard the accounts of what transpired on the day of the murder. Many people have passed judgment without considering the biological explanations for what occurred. Were these the actions of a cold and calculated murder or the manifestation of a teenager with impaired cognitive traits?
The Vojkovic case will be compared to the belief of two biological theoretical perspectives. First, Neuropsychological Theory, where poor verbal skills lead to physical expression, behavioral patterns are learned through impulsive behavior, poor attention span and cognitive thoughts are impaired due to brain damage. Second, Cesare Lombroso’s work on the “Born Criminal” will be put to the test . Lombroso believes that genetics play an important role on determining whether someone is likely to engage in criminal activity. He believes these criminals are derived from a degenerate race that has failed to evolve, both mentally and physically. These “Born Criminals” are amoral, lack remorse, and are untreatable. These theories will be tested on accuracy and any important behavior that may have been neglected.
This paper will specifically apply these two theories to the Medical Model’s explanations of criminal behavior, established in the 1930’s. The Medical Model illustrates that people who engage in criminal activity have a sickness (Clear, Cole, & Reisig, 2005). This sickness can extend to a minimum of one of three things. First, biological traits or a “sick body” may lead to criminal activity. Second, one may suffer from psychological issues or a “sick mind.” Finally, sociological explanations, or “sick neighborhoods” are to blame.
Biological Explanations
Lombroso’s work has strong emphasis on genetic traits. Vojkovic, being of First Nations heritage, would be classified as a degenerate. Under Lombroso’s view, First Nations people have failed to evolve over-time and still carry ape-like physical features. He believes their animalistic physical features would lead to aggressive primal behavior, which Vojkovic had demonstrated through rape and physical dominance over Mrs. Findlay.
However, both theories share the belief that the potential for fetal alcohol syndrome, as his mother was an alcoholic, may explain Mr. Vojkovic’s behavior. Lombroso would focus on the visually visible abnormalities, such as facial structure. While the Neuropsychological Theory would argue that brain damage would play a role in Vojkovic’s actions.
One problem is that if Mr. Vojkovic was not of First Nations lineage then Lombroso’s degenerate theory would have been dismissed. Furthermore, both theories would be fully dismissed if Mr. Vojkovic does not suffer from any form of fetal alcohol syndrome, which had not been document in this case.
Psychological Explanations
"I was all like sweaty. I was getting all hot. Like I was trying to think of something. I was trying to think really quickly. I was kind of running around. It was an accident that got out of control" (Mackenzie, 2004).
Lombroso argued that born criminals are cold and calculating. They are amoral and lack a sense of remorse for their victims. This fits in well with the behavior Mr. Vojkovic exhibited with Mrs. Findlay. Since they had startled one another in the barn, Mr. Vojkovic had been concerned with being identified. He tied her up, took away her glasses, set fire to the house to destroy his fingerprints, and murdered Mrs. Findlay. This does not overshadow that he raped Mrs. Findlay and never appeared to show any form of remorse for her or empathy, throughout this ordeal. These actions are further emphasized once he left the Findlay residence and enjoyed some time out with his friends shortly after. However, one thing remains unclear, if Mr. Vojkovic lacks remorse then why did he attempt to vacate the dogs prior to setting the house on fire? This argument defies part of Lombroso’s theory.
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- Citar trabajo
- Bachelor of Arts Criminology and Psychology Richard Teotico (Autor), 2007, Remorseless: Biological Theoretical Explanations of Jeremy Wade Vojkovic, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/210785
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