Banwell, Stacy ORCID: 0000-0001-7395-2617 (2011) Women, violence and gray zones: resolving the paradox of the female victim-perpetrator. Internet Journal of Criminology. pp. 1-19. ISSN 2045-6743

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Abstract

This article analyses the conflicting narratives surrounding the case of convicted Canadian offender Karla Homolka. As both a victim and a perpetrator of violent crime Karla’s actions are positioned precariously between activity and passivity. It is precisely because of this blurring of boundaries - between agency and victimization - that her case has received widespread critical discussion. Despite attempts to ‘recuperate’ her narrative (Morrissey, 2003; Thompson and Ricard, 2009), Karla still presents us with a paradox. There is a need then to unpack the relationship between Karla’s victimization (non-agency) and her criminal culpability (agency). This paper will consider whether or not Primo Levi’s (1988) concept of ‘gray zones’ can resolve this paradox.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	women, violence, gray zones, female victim-perpetrator, Primo Levi
Subjects:	K Law > K Law (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2019 12:35
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/6428

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