The Criminal Imbecile: An Analysis of Three Remarkable Murder Cases

By Henry Herbert Goddard

(3.5 stars) • 10 reviews

In a time when understanding the mind was just beginning, the accused—deemed to have diminished minds—faced judgment for unspeakable acts, sparking a debate on responsibility and justice.

Genres

Crime/Mystery Psychiatry/Psychology Research Methods/Statistics/Information Sys Sociology

Released

2013-06-29

Formats

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Summary

"The Criminal Imbecile: An Analysis of Three Remarkable Murder Cases" by Henry Herbert Goddard is an examination of how mental disabilities might relate to committing crimes, using real court cases from the early 1900s to make its points. It looks at three people who were charged with murder and thought to have different levels of mental slowness. The book begins with the case of Jean Gianini, who was found not guilty because the court decided he was mentally not all there when he killed his ex-teacher at sixteen years old; it appeared he had the mind of a ten-year-old. The details of the case show how the court started to think about the mental state of criminals when deciding on the verdict, highlighting the thinking and reasons of people with mind differences and arguing for how society should deal with these people in the justice system.