Criminogenic characteristics and their relationship to the modus operandi of homicide perpetrated by women who are held at the Women’s Prison in Bogotá in 2015

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the criminogenic characteristics related to the modus operandi in eight cases of women who are held for homicide crime at the Women’s Prison in Bogotá. By undertaking a document analysis based on judicial records, press reports and penitentiary processes documents, it aimed to find out the causes and criminogenic features linked to the modus operandi starting from criminal investigation and criminology with intervention in concepts such as motivation and intent. Various theories have attempted to explain the criminality phenomenon, many of them have been outlined in different approaches, and sometimes they are contradictory. Therefore, it was necessary an integrated perspective of different theoretical precepts from criminology, criminal sociology and psychology. Variables in the results revealed that, in some cases, a killer conduct is not predetermined. However, some factors raised the risk of violence, such as weapons use, other people presence in the scene, conflict ridden relationships, illegal substances consumption, among other causes. These causes allowed demonstrating that the punishable conduct is not only devised by external circumstances, but also by intrinsic factors that could be observed on the modus operandi.