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Crime and Justice in Europe
These six events demonstrate the way in which Europe has dealt with a continuously changing world. Still, despite all these changes, one thing has remained constant: the fact that European crime and justice has always been a reflection of the social, political, and cultural realities within Europe. -
The Execution of Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d'Aubray (France)
She was a French aristocrat who poisoned her male family to inherit their estates. Once convicted, she was publically beheaded & burnt at the stake. This source is a series of letters written by the French aristocrat, Madame de Sévigné who wrote to her daughter during the period of May to July 1676. They describe the gossip surrounding d’Aubray’s case and her public execution. It illustrates how executions were used as a form of exemplary deterrence to showcase the power of the state. -
Publication of Beccaria’s "On Crimes and Punishment" (Italty)
Beccaria’s book was first published in Italy and advocated for a reform of criminal law. He argued that criminal justice should conform to rational principles. He condemned torture and the death penalty by arging that they were ineffective forms of deterrence and that it was ethically inappropriate for a state to take the lives of its citizens. His book reflects the beliefs of the Enlightenment including the need to use rationality to critique existing practices as a means of improving society. -
Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon (Britain)
The Panopticon was an institutional building whose circular design would allow for a single watchman to supervise all the inmates in a guard housed.This source is a series of letters that Bentham wrote to his friend in England describing his invention, and the advantages of its application. It is reflective of the progressive philosophy of the Englightnement which stated that human action/ inventions could how have a positibe impact on society, in this case reforming prisoners. -
The Prison Society at St. Petersburg: Committee Report (Russia)
The Prison Society at St. Petersburg was a Christian organization which aimed to re-evangelize criminals and ameliorate the living conditions of prisons in St. Petersburg. This source containns extracts from their committee report for the year 1822. There contains an account of the activities promulgated by the association and their successes. It demonstrates how the 1820s was a time where charity was on the rise and society was being re-evangelized. -
Issue of the Police Gazette (Britain)
The Police Gazette was a weekly newspaper distributed to police forces within Great Britain. It contained notices and photographs of items such as ‘wanted’ criminals and the information surrounding their case, the names of convicts that had recently been released, persons recently convicted, and notes on potentially deviant citizens. This source is the copy of one of these publications. It illustrates how modern technology & science were used to restore order, and monitor citizens' movements. -
Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (Switzerland)
This treaty, signed by the USA and forty-seven other states, required that armies treat prisoners of war humanely, protect them from any acts of violence/threats, and provide them with adequate food and medical care. This source is an extract from the original treaty and contains articles two to four, and eleven. They specify how prisoners of war can and cannot be treated. It is significant as it sets the standards of international law, calling for more humanitarian treatment of individuals.
