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CRIME. TYPES OF
CRIME.
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Motto: All crime is a kind of disease and should be treated as such
Key words:
Criminal intent-_____________ ;__________________________________________________
Juvenile delinquency_________;__________________________________________________
Felonies-___________________;__________________________________________________
Larceny-___________________;__________________________________________________
Forgery-___________________;___________________________________________________
Bribery-___________________;___________________________________________________
Conspiracy-________________;___________________________________________________
Extortion-__________________;___________________________________________________
Arson-_____________________;__________________________________________________
White-collar crimes-__________;__________________________________________________
Read the key words and give the Romanian equivalents. What is your understanding of these
words? Write a sentence with each of them.
Starting up:
A. Define crime in your own words
B. Name as many crimes as you can remember. What do you think would be a reasonable
punishment in each case? Work in teams and compare your lists with those of other teams.
C. What steps can the society take to cope with crime? What can law enforcing institutions do in
order to prevent crimes?
Vocabulary:
A: End the sentences using the following words:
a statute; the suspect; a murderer; the innocent; a code; a thief.
a) Someone who steals a lot is___________________________.
b) Someone who killed a person is________________________.
c) Someone who is suspected of a crime is__________________.
d) Someone who is found not guilty is______________________.
e) A document which regulates legal behaviour is_____________.
f) A document which details elements of a crime is ___________.
D: Continue the following table with the words f r o m C where possible. Here we have some
examples. Consult the dictionary when necessary:
DEBATE
All criminals are perverse people!
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Prepare your arguments for or against the statement above. Use the active vocabulary from the
Unit. Divide into two groups- pro and con, and conduct a debate. The chairperson of the debate
will give the floor to the speakers of both teams.
Lead-in
Write down the things you know about types of crime and ask questions about what you
would like to find out. Then read the text to check your information and explain the
underlined words and expressions:
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C) WHAT ARE BUSINESS RELATED CRIMES?
A business, like any person, is subject to general criminal law. Some crimes, however, are found more
frequently in the business than elsewhere. Business firms are frequently the victims of crimes such as
robbery, burglary, shoplifting, employee pilferage, passing bad checks, vandalism, receiving stolen
property, and embezzlement. Less frequently, but often with much larger sums of money involved,
business persons and firms may commit crimes. Because such criminals are generally well-educated,
respected members of the community, the offenses are called white-collar crimes. These criminals
exploit their victims through concealment and deceit.
Common examples of white-collar crimes are: income tax evasion, consumer fraud, cheating
with false weighing machines, conspiring to fix prices, bribery, and embezzlement.
Normally no physical violence is involved in crimes of this nature. Thus, courts tend to be softer with
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Bribery is offering or giving to a government official money or anything of value which the official was
not authorized to receive in order to influence performance of an official duty. Accepting the money or
offer is also bribery.
burning car
9. Selling and Buying Narcotic Drugs
Narcotics, when abused, can cause serious mental and physical harm. There exist laws, which make
certain narcotic-related activities- criminal offenses. The activities include selling or offering to sell,
possessing, transporting, administering, or giving narcotics without a license, except by medical
prescription.
10. Computer Crime
As mentioned above larceny is the wrongful taking of the personal property of others. This traditional
definition of the crime made it difficult to prosecute those who steal computer data for two reasons.
First, many courts concluded that there was no taking of personal property but only the loss of
electrical impulses, which no one really owns.
computer hacker
GOOD TO KNOWA crime is any act or omission (of an act) that violates the law and is punishable by the
state. Crimes are considered injurious to society or the community. They include both felonies (more serious
offences - like murder or rape) and misdemeanours (like petty theft, or speeding).
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1.3. Answer the questions:
1. Enumerate all business related crimes.
2. Give the definition of larceny.
3. What does receiving stolen property imply?
4. What are false pretenses?
5. Give the definition of forgery.
6. Define bribery.
7. What do you understand by extortion?
8. What is conspiracy?
9. Is arson a willful and illegal burning of a building?
10. Is the computer crime considered to be a larceny?
1.5. Match the criminals in the list with their correct description:
Blackmailer, forger, hooligan, murderer, shoplifter, vandal, burglar, hijacker, kidnapper, pickpocket,
smuggler, mugger.
1) A.takes control of a plane, train, bus or boat by force.
2) Aassaults and robs people in the street.
3) A.brings goods into the country illegally.
4) Amight steal food from a supermarket.
5) Akills someone on purpose.
6) Atakes people and demands money for their return.
7) Amakes illegal copies of paintings, documents
8) Adamages other peoples property.
9) Amight steal your wallet in a crowd.
10) Asteals from houses.
11) Agets money from others by threatening to tell secrets.
12) Acauses troubles at football matches.
1.6. Look at the list of crimes in the box, then look at the categories below. Decide which category
each one comes under, and write the crime in the appropriate space in the table. Some crimes can
be listed under more than one category. One of the words / expressions in the list is not a crime.
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Crimes against the person
Sexual offences
Political offences
1.8. Below are 14 crimes. Firstly, link each crime to its definition and then classify each crime as
violent (V) or non-violent (NV).
1.9. THE BOX BELOW contains the names of twenty-two crimes. The list gives the definitions of
the same crimes. Match the crimes to their definitions. The first one has been done for you: the
crime of assault is "acting in such a way as to make someone believe he or she will be hurt"
1. assault acting in such a way as to make someone believe he or she will be hurt.
2. _______betraying your country to a foreign power.
3. _______copying patented inventions or copyrighted works.
4. _______entering a building illegally and stealing things.
5. _______ getting money from people by threatening to publicise facts they do not want
revealed.
6. _______getting money from people by using threats.
7. _______getting property or money from people by making them believe untrue things.
8. _______going through a ceremony of marriage when you are still married to someone else.
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9. _______killing a public figure illegally and intentionally.
10. _______killing someone illegally and intentionally.
11. _______killing someone unintentionally or in mitigating circumstances.
12. _______making an illegal copy of a banknote or document.
13. _______offering money corruptly to get someone to do something to help you.
14. _______saying something which damages someone's character.
15. _______setting fire to a building.
16. _______stealing something by using force or threatening to use force.
17. _______stealing, taking property which belongs to someone else.
18. _______taking goods illegally into or out of a country.
19. _______telling lies when you have sworn an oath to say what is true in court.
20. _______trying to find out secrets by illegal means.
21. _______using illegally or stealing money which you are looking after for
someone else.
22. _______writing, publishing or broadcasting a statement which damages
someones character.
Extension. Work with a partner and test each other. One person turns the page over, the other asks
questions. "What do you call the crime of acting in such a way as to make someone believe he or she
will be hurt". Define treason.
1.10. Below are 9 statements by defendants. Read the statements and say what crime
has each one been accused of.
1. "I arrived home late and found that I'd forgotten my keys. I didn't want to wake my wife up, and I
saw there was a ladder in the garden of the house next door. I got the ladder and climbed in. We've just
moved house and I didn't realise I was in the wrong street...
2. "I was walking my dog when I saw the gun lying on the ground. I picked it up. It was still warm, and
at that moment I saw the body lying in the long grass. I went across to look and it was my business
partner. That's when the police arrived...
3. "I opened the bank account in a false name as a way to help my employer pay less tax. It's perfectly
legal. I kept meaning to tell him, but somehow I just forgot. I bought the villa in France with my own
money. It was an inheritance...
4. "OK, so there are a hundred and twenty-three copies of Four Weddings and a Funeral. That's
perfectly true, but I had no intention of selling them. I'm a collector.
5. "I didn't know she was still alive, I thought she'd died in a car accident. I couldn't believe it when I
saw her walk into the room. Surely you don't think I did this just to get your money...?
6. "You misunderstand me. When I offered him the money I meant it as a gift. I know that life can be
difficult for a young man on a police salary, especially if he has a family, young children etcetera. It isn't
easy and I know that. I just wanted to help. I didn't expect him to do anything in return...
7. "After leaving the office I realised I'd forgotten my umbrella. I went back in to get it. When I went in
I noticed that the photocopier was still turned on. It had been working very badly all day, and I decided
to quickly see what was wrong with it before going home. I made a few test copies of documents that
were in the office. I didn't even look at what I was copying. The machine seemed to be working much
better. I put the copies in my briefcase - intending to use the other side as notepaper. I don't believe in
wasting paper. At that moment Mr. Sanders came out of his office...
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8. "I painted them for pleasure. I had no intention of deceiving people. I never said they were by other
people. Yes, I did include the signatures of other artists but that's because I wanted them to be perfect
copies...
9. "Mr Wills sent me the money to help me in my business venture . I'm trying to start a design agency.
He sent me cheques every month for $1200. A couple of times he sent extra when I had special
expenses. It was always understood that he would participate in the profits of the business when it was
running. We didn't write anything down, it was an oral agreement. The photographs I have of him with
his secretary have no connection with these payments.
Role-Play
There have been a string of bank robberies in the local area recently. The police are investigating
the crimes and making the photofits of the suspects.
Work in pairs. Each pair should consist of a police inspector and a witness.
STEP 1. The police inspector is questioning the eyewitness to find out all the necessary details o f the
suspect's appearance. (Look at the below list of adjectives used for describing a person).
STEP 2. Using the information obtained they make u p a photofit by completing the drawings below
FACE long, round, oval, thin, plump, fleshy, puffy, wrinkled, pasty, pimpled, pock-marked, clean-
shaven
FEATURES clean-cut, delicate, forceful, regular / irregular, large, small, stern
COMPLEXION fair, pale, dark, sallow
HAIR curly, wavy, straight, receding (scanty), rumpled, shoulder-length, medium-length, short-cut,
crew-cut, bobbed, dyed, bald, fair /dark-haired
FOREHEAD high, low, narrow, square, broad
EYES hollowed, bulging, close-set, deep-set, sunken, wide-apart, crossed-eyed
EYEBROWS thin, thick, bushy, arched, pencilled, shaggy
EARS small, big, jug-eared
NOSE prominent, straight, pointed, hooked, flat, aquiline, snub-nosed
LIPS full, thin, painted, cleft lip
TEETH even / uneven, sparse, artificial
CHEEKS plump, hollow, ruddy, stubby
CHIN square, pointed, double, massive, protruding
BEARD full, bushy, spade beard, grey-bearded, heavy-bearded
MOUSTACHE thin, thick, tooth brush
HEIGHT tall, short, of medium height
BUILT average, medium built, well-built, plump, skinny
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES birth marks, freckles, scars, wooden leg, humpback, pot-belly
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Case study
Law life situation and its solving:
Problem:
The accused is a doctor who gave an overdose to an 87-year-old woman. She had a terminal
illness, was in constant pain and had asked for the overdose. Her family is accusing the doctor of
murder.
1. Comment on the doctors actions.
2. How would you behave being in the doctors place?
3. If you were a judge what sentence would you give to such kind of doctor?
4. How do you find the familys decision of accusing the doctor of murder?
Creative Writing
Imagine that you were an eye-witness of a crime scene. Now you are at a police station and
you are asked to make a photofit. After creating the photofit you should put down all the
features of the criminal.
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