Women accused of sexual offenses

✍ Scribed by Catherine F. Lewis; Charlotte R. Stanley

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 111 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0735-3936
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0798(200001/02)18:1<73::aid-bsl378>3.0.co;2-#

✦ Synopsis

Few studies exist on female sexual oenders or women accused of sexual oenses. In some instances, conclusions from existing studies con¯ict. In an eort to better understand the phenomenon of sexual abuse by females, we gathered data on all women charged with a sexual oense referred to our facility (William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute in Columbia, South Carolina) for a criminal responsibility/competence to stand trial evaluation from 1987 to 1997. Alleged sexual oenses included criminal sexual conduct one, two, and three and performing a lewd act upon a minor. Fifteen women were referred. This study examines characteristics of the accused women and their victims. Patterns of the alleged oenses and outcome of forensic evaluation are also examined. We found women accused of committing sexual oenses to have a high likelihood of past sexual and physical victimization as well as ongoing physical victimization. Borderline intellectual function and mental retardation were common and women acted frequently with codefendants. The victims knew the perpetrator in every instance.