Anatomy of a crime: Why are women criminals different?

Young women from small towns, accused of murdering their husbands, drew sensational headlines and misogynistic memes, breaking stereotypes in brutal ways

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Sonam, Muskan, Shivani, Ravina, Radhika... framed in their dual identities as women and alleged 'husband killers", they have not just grabbed headlines and courted notoriety over the last months but also challenged conventional notions about femininity and crime.

The questions abound - why do women commit crimes, why are they treated differently than male criminals, are they demonstrating empowerment or signs that they are, in fact, disempowered.

It’s a mix of social stigma, rigid gender roles, and unrealistic standards for women, experts said.

British criminologist Frances Heidensohn has a term for the strong societal reaction - double deviance theory.

A woman committing a crime “not only violates a legal norm but also a gender norm”, explained G S Bajpai, professor of criminology and vice chancellor of the National Law University in Delhi.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported over 4.45 lakh crimes against women in 2022. However, it doesn't maintain a separate category for crimes 'by' women due to their low numbers. Yet serious offences committed by women, however small in number, make an impact all their own.