NCJ Number
72262
Journal
Social Defence Volume: 14 Issue: 55 Dated: (January 1979) Pages: 26-32,41
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Female criminality, on the increase in India and elsewhere in the world, was studied in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Women were found to be committing petty theft and housebreaking offenses and acting as accomplices and syphons.
Abstract
Indian crime statistics note female participation in a variety of offenses. Regarding property offenses, more females than males were involved in 1971 (44.9 percent females, 25.8 percent males), and more theft was committed by females than males in both 1971 and 1974. Data for Andhra Pradesh indicate that during 1965 to 1972 females showed a greater proportion of involvement in 'miscellaneous' offenses (37.9 percent). While the State's average percentage of property offenses among females for these years appears to be lower than that of males, the involvement of females has assumed higher proportions to that of males. This paper concentrates on 23 females who were convicted under various property offenses during 1974 and 1975 in Andhra Pradesh, to determine the nature and type of property offenses committed by females and to examine the socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds of offenders. The majority (17) of the female offenders were involved in theft, while 2 women were involved in housebreaking and theft, 3 in receiving stolen property, and 1 in assisting to conceal stolen property. Of the 19 women who confessed their offenses, 10 were recidivists, while 9 reported only casual involvement in crime. Of 10 habitual offenders, 7 committed the offense in a group and played an active role in planning and committing it. While all the habituals proceeded with a premeditated plan, only five casuals were accomplices in a premeditated crime and none had previous convictions. Most of the women committed crimes in their own localities. Nineteen of the offenders were Hindu, four were Christians. Of the Hindu women, the majority belonged to backward castes. On the average, they were below 30 years of age, married, illiterate, and in some cases working in petty jobs. Social and domestic factors were given as the most important causes for turning to property crime. Financial difficulties and destitution were also cited as motivating factors, and economic constraints were influential in 17 cases. Five references are cited.