Juvenile Homicide: The Role of the Brazilian Police/Criminal Justice in Mourning Families

Authors

  • Daniela Fontoura Domingues Universidade de Brasília
  • Maria Auxiliadora Dessen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v19i3.29581

Keywords:

juvenile homicide, impunity, family, police, criminal justice.

Abstract

Unlike natural losses, deaths caused by murders involve a legal body of people whose function is to
elucidate the episode and to punish the culprit(s). This study presents the mothers’ and siblings’
perceptions about the role of the police/criminal justice after losing a young family member due to
homicide by firearm. The participants were eight families who answered a questionnaire about the
characterization of the family system and a semi-structured interview. The reports were submitted to
the qualitative analysis. The results emphasize the frustration of the participants regarding to the
performance of the State to solve the crimes and to apprehend the perpetrators; and the lack of
punishment generates a deep dissatisfaction among the relatives. The results indicate the necessity of
changing the laws in Brazil.

Published

2016-11-09

How to Cite

Domingues, D. F., & Dessen, M. A. (2016). Juvenile Homicide: The Role of the Brazilian Police/Criminal Justice in Mourning Families. Interação Em Psicologia, 19(3). https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v19i3.29581

Issue

Section

Research Reports