Female crimes, violence and punishment: Thieves, murderers and infanticides. Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, 1904-1921

Abstract

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there was an increase of crime rates in Argentina that raised concerns at the ruling elite and legal professionals. However, criminal prosecution and arrests varied according to gender condition. Women were less criminalized than men because their criminal acts were not considered highly dangerous. Although the feminine percentage of delinquents registered by statesmen and contemporaries is lower than the masculine, criminal acts performed by women did have an important social impact. Departing from social history of justice and gender studies perspectives, this paper analyzes crimes committed by women who were effectively punished by the Buenos Aires State. Particularly, this study emphasizes the crimes of theft and robbery, infanticide and homicide. The research data was systematized from 615 files of women who were imprisoned in the Women's Penitentiary No. 8 of the Buenos Aires Penitentiary Service.