A Criminologist's Diary-47

A Criminologist’s Diary-47

Account Criminology and Criminal Ju...

‘STATUS’ Crimes and Criminals

Is there a category of crimes called ‘STATUS’ crimes? Newer and newer crimes are coming to the bright light and their definitions/ descriptions are not seen in any books of law or legal literature. White collar crimes, Edwin Sutherland defined them as crimes committed by people of high socio-economic status during the course of their profession or occupation, the purpose of which is nothing but financial achievement. But in ‘status’ crimes, it may be remembered that the crimes need not necessarily be committed by people of high socio-economic, literary or political status. It can be committed by anyone enjoying or suffering from any position in life provided he gets a” STATUS” by being or becoming a criminal/crime doer. The meaning of ‘Status’ as given in the Random House Webster’s Dictionary is the position of an individual in relation to another or others, esp. in regard to social or professional standing. The Dictionary gives further another meaning too-i.e., conferring or believed to confer elevated status. It is in this sense, the expression Status Crimes and Criminals is used here.

There is a Malayalam movie titled ‘ Udayanaanu Thaaram’ which can be translated as ‘ Udayan is the Star’. STAR here means ‘shining as a star or become prominent’.

Several unscrupulous politicians, ‘religious’ men business people goondas and bandits of all descriptions ,corrupt bureaucrats, Mafia kings, flesh traders, human traffickers, judges of questionable integrity ,lawyers of dubious character, ministers of notorious criminal past, organized racketeers, syndicate criminals, ’professionals’ of fake nature and so on come in the news in banner head lines . They become important and the crimes they commit get a ‘STATUS’- not of a crime of a criminal but as heroic act or elevated activity. Resultantly, they are not treated as first rate criminals, but as heroes – STARS. They appear in the media and on public platforms. They are praised or eulogized by many and thus they become SUPER STARS. The crimes they commit are canonized and they receive a special STATUS so much so that the corrupt, unscrupulous, dishonest, unjust HEROES become the role models or SAINTS in public. The STATUS CRIMES they commit become glorified virtues and they become stronger and more acceptable leaders. One time goodas have become Ministers of the State, the corrupt professionals have become key bureaucrats, the unjust judges have become Commissions and thus the STATUS CRIMINALS are conferred with more and more elevated STATUS in society. In contrast to these STATUS CRIMINALS come the small scale cheats, pickpockets, burglars and those involved in small scale frauds. They are often seen behind the BARS and the STATUS CRIMINALS are in high, higher and highest positions. They decide matters for others in the society.

What a tragedy in life and an irony in reality that those who deserve to be or better should be condemned to the jails/behind the BARS are venerated and adored by the mass-the common man!