Reference no: EM132256396

For this essay you can choose one option below:

1) The Barbie and Ken Killers

Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, Canada's "Barbie and Ken Killers" are an interesting comparison of sexual offending between co-conspirators. Although the two offended together in the rape and murder of three female victims, including Karla's 16-year-old sister, Paul was offending on his own, raping a number of other female victims without Karla's involvement.

Conduct your own research and then answer the following questions:

1. Did Homolka deserve the sentence she received? Why or why not?

2. What do you think of the disparity in sentencing between Homolka and Bernardo? Did gender have anything to do with it?

3. Had the case occurred in the US, do you think the outcome would have been any different? Why or why not?

2) The Fine Line Between Victim and Offender

We know that sometimes, women and girls who have been victimized retaliate against their abuser. In some cases, these females are charged with criminal offenses. While there has technically been a violation of the law, there are mitigating factors that we would like the courts to take into consideration.

For this assignment, select a case where a woman is both the victim and the offender. It must be a case where the female offender's criminal activity is somehow linked to her victimization (e.g., a domestic violence victim who kills her partner, a child molestation victim who kills her molester).

There must have been sufficient media coverage for you to complete the required elements. In the past, students have selected cases such as Mary Winkler, Marissa Alexander, Barbara Sheehan, Stacey Lannert, Susan Polk, Aileen Wournos, Casey Anthony, Jody Arias, and others.

Then address the following in an essay:

1. Briefly summarize the victimization and how it led to the offense. Facts only; this should only take up about a page of the paper.

2. What was the sentence imposed (note - the case must have already reached disposition - a pending case or one in which the defendant was not convicted would not be appropriate.) This section should not exceed a paragraph.

3. Assessment - this is the main focus of the paper, so the bulk of your paper should assess and analyze the sentence. Do you feel the sentence imposed was appropriate? Too harsh? Too lenient?

o If you feel the sentence was too harsh, you need to provide 3 mitigating circumstances ~ reasons why the court should have considered a lesser punishment.

o If you feel the sentence was too lenient, you need to provide 3 aggravating circumstances ~ reasons why the court should have considered a more severe punishment.

o If you feel the sentence imposed was appropriate, provide 3 reasons why you support the decision.

The essay must be APA format, at least 4 pages in length in actual content, double-spaced, using 12-point font with 1-inch margins and include at least 3 legitimate sources. You can use the ASU Library Database system to search articles/newspaper articles. Wikipedia, blogs, and other nefarious sources of dubious credibility are not acceptable sources.