From Bucharest to Scotland: Key Insights from EUROCRIM 2024

In this blog, the Council’s Senior Research Officer, Hannah Downey, discusses her recent visit to 2024’s European Society of Criminology conference.

When I stepped off the plane in Bucharest last September, I didn't just arrive at another academic conference – I found myself in the middle of fascinating discussions with the potential to shape the future of criminal justice in Scotland and beyond. As a Research Officer for the Scottish Sentencing Council, I spent three days at EUROCRIM's 24th annual conference, where "Criminology Goes East" wasn't just a slogan – it was an invitation to explore new perspectives on pressing issues.

Digital Age Crimes: Rethinking Our Response to Online Sexual Abuse

One of the most striking insights came during discussions about technology-facilitated sexual violence. While many people regularly encounter non-consensual intimate images online, most don’t take action to report them. The research of Italian scholars Edel Margherita and Cosimo Sidoti highlighted this "bystander effect" in the digital realm, where individuals perceive these issues as outside their responsibility to address.

Dr Aurélie Depré’s study of young people in Belgium further revealed that victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse often prefer to turn to peers and parents for support, rather than seeking help from victim support services or legal channels. In terms of sanctions, the youngsters interviewed expressed a preference for alternatives to prison, such as:

• financial penalties - 48%
• educational courses on online violence - 46%
• for community service - 39%
• value in mediation – 39%
  
  

Mental Health and Sentencing: Lessons from Across the Atlantic

As we at the Council expand our work on mental health, Dr Chloe Deambrogio's research on Texan capital cases offered an interesting perspective. She presented a study focusing on the punitive approach of Texas courts towards defendants allegedly affected by severe mental disabilities. Historically, Texan prosecutors have used trial tactics to highlight mental illness as an aggravating, rather than mitigating factor.

The study analysed unpublished trial records, with findings suggesting that jurors prefer to form their opinions through the context of events rather than facts or information from experts, and often show disdain for expert witnesses in trials. This was visible during Blain Milam’s 2012 trial, where an intellectually disabled man was charged with the murder and sexual assault of his one year old step daughter. Expert testimony claimed that Milam’s cognitive and emotional development was notably impaired, indicating that he could not fully understand his actions, particularly in the context of premeditation or intent. In court, prosecutor Michael Jimerson argued “[T]he expert’s supposed to be helpful to the ultimate jury’s determination. The expert doesn’t make the determination for the jury.… Nowadays we have this new attack, I submit, on the jury system from these experts… I submit to you that’s not appropriate. That’s not proper. It’s our obligation to make these decisions. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the right – it’s the right of every citizen.”

Innovation in Tackling Violence Against Women

Closer to home, Durham University Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse in partnership with the College of Policing presented ongoing research with English police forces which showcased three innovative approaches to reduce violence against women and girls:

Forensic marking products in domestic abuse cases, where victims are provided with products that can leave a stain visible under a UV light on their abuser or their abuser’s clothing for up to eight weeks. It is intended that this acts primarily as a deterrent, but if not then it provides the police with evidence of contact.

Police presence in secondary schools to support PSHE (Personal, social, health and economic education) initiatives to see if school children have a better understanding of the law on sexual consent if they are taught it by police officers rather than teachers.

Video conferencing for non-emergency domestic abuse calls (this project is with Crest Advisory).

Rape Sentencing: A Global Challenge

The roundtable discussion on sentencing rape offences revealed striking similarities across different jurisdictions:

• Each jurisdiction had experienced a high-profile case that sparked public outcry
• Media scrutiny intensified across the board
• There is a widespread belief that harsher sentences deter offending (despite insufficient supporting evidence)
• All jurisdictions face the challenge of balancing public demands for more severe punishments with the need for evidence-based approaches

Looking Ahead

What stood out to me most during the conference was the wealth of knowledge we can gain from each other's experiences. As we continue our work at the Scottish Sentencing Council, these global perspectives will help shape our thinking on understanding public attitudes toward sentencing, and developing evidence-based guidelines that serve justice.

What are your thoughts on these approaches? We'd love to hear from legal professionals, academics, and the public about how these international insights might apply to Scotland.