Coerced into crime? : Legal and media framing of co-accused women

Barlow, Charlotte Frederica (2015) Coerced into crime? : Legal and media framing of co-accused women. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

Abstract

This thesis employs a case study approach to explore the ways in which women who are co-accused with a male partner (or accomplices) of committing a range of crimes are framed by British newspapers and compares such reportage with the record made in the legal proceedings of the same cases.Pseudonyms have been provided for the case studies analysed, due to the terms and conditions of the Privileged Access Agreement granted by Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Services, which enabled viewing access to the case file material. The case studies analysed are Jane Turner, Sarah Johnson, Alice Jones and Janet Young. The unique aspect of the case studies is that each of the women, either directly or indirectly, argued that they had been coerced into crime by their male partner/ accomplice. Using a feminist methodological approach, this thesis explores the news media framing of the co-accused women and the case file material is utilised as a comparative tool. The British newspapers selected for analysis are Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Star, The Express, The Mirror, The People, The Sun, The Times (including Sunday published versions). This thesis argues that the co-accused women are framed within a range of stock, gendered motifs and narratives which consequently silences, mutes and distorts their perspectives. Furthermore, the concept of ‘coercion into crime’ is also developed to better understand coercion as a pathway into criminality.