Our topic for this paper is Crime and Punishment. There are several different
issues on this subject. We chose three main points to talk about: The Crimes, the People
who solved them, and the different types of punishments. These are the topics we chose
for our report.
Crime in the nineteeth century was rapid though out London. But because of all
of the poverty and sickness in the streets, crime was the only way to survive. Most of the
crimes that took place in London were crimes that involved stealing. Pickpocket gangs
and street gamblers were a regular sight when walking down a major London street.
Prostitution was also a big money maker on the streets, done by both girls and boys. But
crimes though out the middle class and rich were mostly property crimes and disputes
which made up 90% of all crimes committed by the upper-class. In Victorian England
and
like today there a two categories which crimes fall under.
'Indictable' which is the same
as our felony crimes that make up all of the major crimes. These crimes consist of:
Murder, armed robbery, burglary, larceny, rape, and assaults on the police. The next
called category is called ' Summery ' crimes which is equal to our misdemeanor crimes.
Summery crimes were all minor crimes such as: Property crimes, Vagrancy,
Drunkenness,
Prostitution, Minor Larceny , and all other minor offenses.
Probably the most famous criminal in the Victorian period was ' Jack the Ripper '.
Jack the Ripper was ' the first modern sexual serial killer' ( Sugden, pg.2) Jack's
trademark was the killing of female prostitutes. But not only did he kill them, he would
surgically remove organs and intrails and place them near the dead body. 'Jack the
Ripper' wasn't his only nickname, he was also...