The crimes against human dignity in sexual area - criminal and criminological aspects Abstract: The thesis deals with those crimes that affect the most intimate area of human life, the sexual area. It analyzes those crimes from a criminal point of view and compares the current Czech legislation with the legislation in Spain. Based on this comparison, the thesis contains several considerations de lege ferenda, which could improve the current Czech legislation. As the chosen topic is strongly affected by forensic science and criminology, the thesis also deals with sexual crimes from the point of view of these scientific disciplines. From a criminological point of view, the thesis examines the personality of the perpetrator and the victim. With regard to perpetrators, it deals primarily with the motives, motivations and typology of perpetrators in general. In relation to victims the thesis finds out, in particular, how committing these crimes affects their lives (including secondary victimization) and deals with their position from a procedural point of view. In the part dealing with forensic science this thesis describes the specifics associated with the investigation of this type of crimes. In order to determine whether these procedures are effective, the first part contains statistical reports showing...

The purpose of this study is to develop a fruitful conception of human dignity, a conception that can be used as a guiding moral principle when trying to resolve the conflict of rights. Specifically, the question that this study attempts to answer is what is a fruitful conception of human dignity and how can it be used to deal with concrete issues pertaining to human rights? Two reports from special rapporteurs propose two different courses of action regarding the implementation of the right to protection of property, and this is the conflict that the proposed conception of human dignity tries to resolve. To develop a conception of human dignity a broad conception of human dignity is initially developed, through the usage of a Rawlsian reflective equilibrium, and it is further developed through a combination of a reflective equilibrium, examination of the conception in relation to overall coherence with the human rights tradition, and a consequence analysis. The latter is done by utilizing a consequence analysis with the aforementioned courses of action being applied in a specific case, the case of Tanzania. By using a consequence analysis, a proposed conception of human dignity and a reflective equilibrium the conception of human dignity could be developed further and contribute to resolve the specific conflict of rights that could be found in the reports of the special rapporteurs. The conclusion drawn was that both of the proposed courses of action, regarding the implementation of the right to the protection of property and in relation to the proposed conception of human dignity, had desirable and less desirable consequences. Therefore, a third way was proposed that sought to bridge the gap between both courses of action, by combining elements of both, and to strengthen the condition-dignity for the parties affected.

The paper explores historical positions on suicide and philosophical, theological, and moral positions on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In 1900, most people died from infectious diseases, which have relatively short periods of morbid decline. With advances in the biomedical sciences, people are living longer, and most people die from chronic diseases, which are usually accompanied by prolonged periods of morbid decline. In addition to living longer, people today are generally more individualist and seek methods to control many aspects of life. While assisted death is rarely used, it represents a means to control end-of-life suffering. The paper demonstrates that there is substantial opposition to assisted death among philosophers, theologians and bioethicists. The paper also argues that improved education about end-of-life palliative alternatives would alleviate fears about end-of-life suffering. The thesis is that the use of palliative alternatives is morally and ethically superior to physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Yes / Recent decades have witnessed a growing number of states around the world relying on border control measures, such as immigration detention, to govern human mobility and control the movements of those classified as “unauthorised non-citizens.” In response to this, an increasing number of scholars from several disciplines, including psychologists, have begun to examine this phenomenon. In spite of the widespread concerns raised, few studies have been conducted inside immigration detention sites, primarily due to difficulties in gaining access. This body of research becomes even scanter when it comes to the experiences of detained women. This study is the first of its kind to have surveyed 93 women confined in an Italian immigration detention facility. A partial mediation model with latent variables was tested through partial least structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed the negative impact that unfair immigration procedures have on detained women’s human dignity, which in turn negatively affects their self-rated physical and mental health. Overall, our study sheds light on the dehumanisation and damage to human dignity that immigration detention entails, as well as its negative impact on the health of those affected. This evidence reinforces the image of these institutions as sites of persistent injustice, while stressing the need to envision alternative justice-oriented forms to address human mobility. / FE’s doctoral research, on which this article relies, was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/87854/2012), and her subsequent work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant number: CEECIND/00924/2018/CP1541/CT0004).

The legal historical development of fairness in the South African common law of contract is investigated in the context of the political, social and economic developments of the last four centuries. It emerges that the common law of contract is still dominated by the ideologies of individualism and economic liberalism which were imported from English law during the nineteenth century. Together with the theories of legal positivism and formalism which are closely related to parliamentary sovereignty and the classical rule of law, these ideals were transposed into the common law of contract through the classical model of contract law which emphasises freedom and sanctity of contract and promotes legal certainty. This approach resulted in the negation of the court’s equitable discretion and the limitation of good faith which sustain the social and economic inequalities that were created under colonialism and exacerbated under apartheid rule. In stark contrast, the modern human rights culture grounded in human dignity and aimed at the promotion of substantive equality led to the introduction of modern contract theory in other parts of the world. The introduction of the Constitution as grounded in human dignity and aimed at the achievement of substantive equality has resulted in a sophisticated jurisprudence on human dignity that reflects a harmonisation between its Western conception as based on Kantian dignity and ubuntu which provides an African understanding thereof. In this respect, ubuntu plays an important role in infusing the common law of contract with African values and in promoting substantive equality between contracting parties in line with modern contract theory. It is submitted that this approach to human dignity should result in the development of good faith into a substantive rule of the common law of contract which can be used to set aside an unfair contract term or the unfair enforcement thereof. / Private Law / LL. D.

The legal historical development of fairness in the South African common law of contract is investigated in the context of the political, social and economic developments of the last four centuries. It emerges that the common law of contract is still dominated by the ideologies of individualism and economic liberalism which were imported from English law during the nineteenth century. Together with the theories of legal positivism and formalism which are closely related to parliamentary sovereignty and the classical rule of law, these ideals were transposed into the common law of contract through the classical model of contract law which emphasises freedom and sanctity of contract and promotes legal certainty. This approach resulted in the negation of the court’s equitable discretion and the limitation of good faith which sustain the social and economic inequalities that were created under colonialism and exacerbated under apartheid rule. In stark contrast, the modern human rights culture grounded in human dignity and aimed at the promotion of substantive equality led to the introduction of modern contract theory in other parts of the world. The introduction of the Constitution as grounded in human dignity and aimed at the achievement of substantive equality has resulted in a sophisticated jurisprudence on human dignity that reflects a harmonisation between its Western conception as based on Kantian dignity and ubuntu which provides an African understanding thereof. In this respect, ubuntu plays an important role in infusing the common law of contract with African values and in promoting substantive equality between contracting parties in line with modern contract theory. It is submitted that this approach to human dignity should result in the development of good faith into a substantive rule of the common law of contract which can be used to set aside an unfair contract term or the unfair enforcement thereof. / Private Law / LL. D.

South African courts face a challenge in the application of intra and extra-texual aids in constitutional interpretation. Given that the 1993 and 1996 Constitutions have brought about a new era in the exercise of human rights, the challenge that the courts face is to strike a balance between individual and communitarian values. I have argued that the African concept of ubuntu which was included in the 1993 Constitution and impliedly included in the 1996 Constitution should be applied as a constitutional value and interpretive aid. This argument is fortified by the 1996 Constitution's frequent reference to human dignity, which is accorded full meaning by ubzmtu.mtu. This concept is further examined with a vie-..v to linking it vvith African jurisprudence which is characterised by the exercise of individual human rights within the context of a group. In conclusion proposals on the way forward in the application of ubuntu are / Law / LL.M.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The introduction deals with the research proposal. The thesis is a practical-theological study dealing with human dignity and the missional vocation of the Gamtoosvalley Uniting Reformed Church in Southern-Africa. The research question asks: How do you guide members of a typical small, poor, rural congregation, caught in maintenance to discover human dignity in Christ and how are they transformed to focus missionally on God’s agenda for their community? Chapter 2 is a context-analysis where demographic information confirms poverty. The question is asked whether members can stay positive and develop hope for an alternative reality for themselves and their community. Chapter 3 is an identity analysis describing how the identity and culture of the congregation and its community was shaped in history. Chapter 4 outlines the present profile of the congregation. In this chapter the secret to hope and human dignity is described in what happened in the community when some members through the power of the Holy Spirit became missionally engaged. The fifth chapter is a literature study that outlines the theological theory about God as a Trinity that serves as a template for ecclesiology and anthropology. The chapter proves the importance of the imago Dei concept for human dignity and the importance of relationships. When people experience a living relationship with God and discover their vocation in and through Jesus Christ, human dignity is restored. Chapter 6 deals with transformation. It links to the missio Dei concept and describes a strategy for the transformation process. The last chapter focuses on leadership development for the pastor and church council and how they and the church members should be take on a missional journey. The conclusions confirm the hypothesis. When some of the members discovered a missional calling and experienced the powerful guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they got involved in reaching out to “the stranger” in their midst. This led to the affirmation of their dignity and created hope for a new and better future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die inleidende hoofstuk word die navorsingsvoorstel uiteengesit. Dit is ʼn prakties-teologiese studie wat handel oor die menswaardigheid en missionale roeping van die VGKSA Gamtoosvallei se lidmate. Die navorsingsvraag lui: Hoe begelei ʼn mens lidmate in ʼn tipiese plattelandse gemeente, wat in armoede en ʼn instandhoudingsbediening vasgevang is, om hul menswaardigheid in Christus te ontdek, en om die lidmate te transformeer na ʼn missionale gemeente wat fokus op God en sy agenda vir hulle en hul gemeenskap? Hoofstuk 2 is ʼn konteksanalise wat, uit die demografiese gegewens, die omvang van armoede in die omgewing toon. Die vraag wat gevra is: Kan lidmate in dié konteks werklik positief bly en hoop en nuwe lewe in die gemeente en die gemeenskap bring? Hoofstuk 3 is ʼn identiteitsanalise en toon watter omstandighede ʼn besondere rol in die vorming van die identiteit en kultuur van die VGK Gamtoosvallei gespeel het. Hoofstuk 4 belig die profiel van die gemeente in sy huidige konteks. Dié hoofstuk bring nuwe hoop wanneer dit fokus op lidmate wat hul menswaardigheid in Christus ontdek het en wat hul missionale roeping onder leiding van die Heilige Gees begin uitleef het. Hoofstuk 5 is ʼn literatuurstudie wat ʼn prakties-teologiese basisteorie uiteensit waarvolgens die navorser te werk gaan om te toon wie God is en hoe die Triniteit ʼn teologiese templaat vir die ekklesiologie en antropologie bied. Dié hoofstuk toon hoe die herstel van die imago Dei menswaardigheid herstel en hoe belangrik verhoudings is. Wanneer die mens in verhouding met God begin leef en sy missionale roeping in Christus begin uitleef, vind herstel van menswaardigheid vanself plaas. In Hoofstuk 6 gaan dit oor hoe die transformasie in die gemeente kan plaasvind. Dit vind aanknoping by die missio-Dei konsep en spel die strategie van transformasie uit. Hoofstuk 7 ondersoek die rol van die leierskapsontwikkeling van die predikant en kerk-raad, asook die gemeente, op die reis na missionale transformasie. Die gevolgtrekking bevestig die hipotese synde dat sommige lidmate hulle missionale roeping ontdek het en die kragtige werking van die Heilige Gees in hul midde ervaar het toe hulle, weg van hulself, op ander se nood gefokus het. Dit kan die sleutel bied tot die herontdekking van hoop en ʼn nuwe lewe.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The researcher’s purpose for writing this paper is first to tell the story of one particular community of faith called the Mount Hope church. In doing so, the spotlight would be placed on the plight and challenges of the Mitchells Plain township life, conditions and ministry. Secondly, the research was seeking to challenge the status quo of a serious lack of human dignity by showing how and why it needs to be restored. Lastly, to then answer the research question: “How does one minister to marginalized and outcast people in such a way that their human dignity is restored?” The researcher has furnished a definition and description of the background of the word township as well as follow four tasks of doing Practical Theology as reflected in the work of one scholar Richard R Osmer. The descriptive empirical section has highlighted the researcher’s life story as key to the research, provided statistical details of the research context as well as individual testimony accounts of lives that have been transformed. The normative section has shown the importance of the prophetic mandate to discern the will of God for the research context. In the interpretive section the researcher has facilitated a dialogue between the descriptive and the normative sections to clarify the importance of system sensitive leadership. The pragmatic section is the last of the four sections where the researcher has shown the strategic output of the Mount Hope church through its leadership. The researcher has concluded by bringing all the chapters together again for the purpose of answering the research question: “How does one minister to marginalized and outcast people in such a way that their human dignity is restored?” It is clear that once they discover the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and the acceptance and guidance of a faith community, they are on the road to restored human dignity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorser se doel met die skryf van hierdie artikel was om die verhaal van 'n geloofsgemeenskap, die Mount Hope gemeente, te vertel. Sodoende is die klem geplaas op die uitdagings van Mitchell’s Plain se “township” lewe, toestande en die bediening. Tweedens was die doel van die navorsing om die ernstige gebrek aan menswaardigheid en die herstel daarvan, uit te beeld en aan te spreek. Die navorsing was gefokus om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: “Hoe bedien jy mense wat gemarginaliseer en verworpe is dat dit hul menswaardigheid herstel?” Die navorser verskaf 'n definisie en beskrywing van die agtergrond van die woord “township” sowel as vier take van Praktiese Teologie, soos weerspieël in die werk van die bekende praktiese teoloog, Richard R Osmer. Die beskrywende gedeelte van die navorsing beklemtoon die navorser se lewensverhaal as sleutel tot die navorsing. Empiriese gegewens wat in statistiese besonderhede die navorsing-konteks verreken sowel as individuele getuienisse van mense wie se lewens getransformeer is, word vertel. Dit illustreer die praktyk van die herstel van menswaardigheid. Die normatiewe afdeling het die belangrikheid van die profetiese mandaat om die wil van God vir die navorsing-konteks om te onderskei, aangetoon. In die interpretasie-afdeling het die navorser as 'n dialoog tussen die beskrywende en die normatiewe gedeeltes gehanteer om die belangrikheid van die sisteem sensitiewe leierskap aan te toon. Die pragmatiese artikel is die laaste van die vier afdelings waar die navorser die strategiese uitset van die Mount Hope gemeente deur sy leierskap aantoon en beskrywend vertel hoe mense opgevang, aanvaar en volgens bybelse beginsels ingeskakel word en op die wyse hulle menswaardigheid herontdek in die liefde van Jesus Christus en sy kerk. Die navorser sluit af deur al die hoofstukke byeen te bring om die navorsings vraag te beantwoord: “Hoe bedien jy mense wat gemarginaliseer en verworpe is dat dit hul menswaardigheid herstel?”

Fokus för avhandlingen, Att uttrycka det mänskliga: narrativ etik i Nuruddin Farah’s trilogier, är de nio romaner publicerade mellan 1979 och 2011 som tillsammans utgör Nuruddin Farah’s tre trilogier: ”Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship,” bestående av Sweet and Sour Milk (1979), Sardines (1981), Close Sesame (1983); “Blood in the Sun,” bestående av Maps (1986), Gifts (1993), Secrets (1998); samt “Past Imperfect,” bestående av Links (2003), Knots (2007), Crossbones (2011). Tematiska och stilistiska skillnader till trots så är dessa trilogier och romaner märkbart sammanhängande i sitt fokus. De är inte bara tydligt förankrade i en somalisk verklighet som spänner över mer än tre decennier – en resa som inbegriper landets skifte från kommunisitstyre, via diktatur, till inbördeskrig, och 2010-talets version med islamistiskt styre och pirater som härjar kustregionen – men dessa romaner pekar genomgående bortom sin tydliga socio-politiska kontext mot djupt etiska, tid- och rumsoberoende frågeställningar: Hur förhåller sig individen till kollektivet? Vilket etiskt ansvar har jaget för den andre? Vad utgör grunden för människans gemensamma varande? Hur bevara sin mänsklighet under omänskliga levnadsförhållanden? Hur göra motstånd i en diktatur utan att bli en del i det maskineri av våld och tyranni man söker bekämpa? Trots det tydligt etiska anslaget så har dessa trilogier nästan uteslutande lästs utifrån sina politiska implikationer. Utan att undervärdera decennier av rikt och varierande kritiskt mottagande så har denna tendens till politiska läsningar ofta genererat förvånansvärt entydiga läsningar av verk kända för sin mångtydighet och komplexitet. Avhandlingen avser därför att påvisa djupet och bredden i Farah’s gestaltningar genom att tydligt belysa hur det etiska gestaltar sig på flera nivåer – tematiskt, berättartekniskt, i mötet mellan läsare och text, samt i föreställningar om författarens moraliska ansvar. Därutöver diskuteras även de etiska dimensionerna av litteraturkritik: vad innebär en etiskt hållen läsemetodik? Arbetets unika bidrag kan formuleras i fyra steg. För det första utgör avhandlingen det ända kända arbete – utöver Fiona F. Moola’s Reading Nuruddin Farah: The Individual, the Novel, and the Idea of Home (2014) – som inbegriper Farah’s alla trilogier, vilket möjliggör mer långtgående och genomgripande analyser än vad som hittills publicerats. Avhandlingens fokus på den senaste trilogin fyller dessutom en viktig lucka i det kritiska mottagandet av Farah’s romaner eftersom väldigt lite publicerats utöver recensioner. Förutom nya läsningar av Farah så utgör min emfas på det etiska i Farah’s etisk-politiska skrivande ett viktigt bidrag till det vidare fält av (afrikansk) (postkolonial) litteraturkritik där man ofta betonat det politiska över det etiska, snarare än att läst dessa två som oskiljaktiga entiteter. Trots att anledningarna till politiska läsningar av Farah’s trilogier kan härledas såväl till verkens starkt politiska nerv som författarens egna uttalanden i intervjuer och artiklar, så pekar privilegieringen av det politiska framför det etiska på en mer generell tendens inom postkolonial kritik att inrymma det etiska under det politiska. Trots att kopplingen mellan fiktion, politik och författaransvar inte kan avfärdas, hävdar jag i denna avhandling att ett ensidigt politisk angreppssätt hotar att såväl underskatta komplexiteten i romanernas gestaltningar, som att reducera konceptuellt vad författare som Farah faktiskt åstadkommer. För det andra så vidgar avhandlingen befintlig forskning kring det etiska i Farah’s romaner genom att inte endast fokusera på tematik och berättartekniska grepp, men också diskutera läsandet och skrivandet – det som i avhandlingen beskrivs som fyra sammanlänkande ”ethical moments of the told, the telling, the act of writing, the act of reading.” Utan att undervärdera tidgare kritiska läsningar så tycks många diskussioner kring Farah’s trilogier fokusera författarens centralitet på ett vis som emellanåt tar fokus från i övrigt tankeväckande läsningar av tematik och narrativa strategier. Min högst textcentrerade utgångspunkt visar som kontrast att läsningen av Farah’s trilogier genererar spörsmål som kräver ett mer holistiskt perspektiv, inte minst tydliga diskussioner kring den etiska dialog som uppstår i mötet mellan läsare och text. Förutom att bidra till befintlig forskning på Farah’s författarskap, så bidrar avhandlingens holistiska inställning till narrativ etik med fem sammanlänkade perspektiv till det vidare fältet av etisk litteraturkritik. Dels beror detta på det faktum att en sådan modell förutsätter användandet av multipla tolkningsmodeller; i mitt fall kontinental filosofi, postkolonial teori, samt narratologiska teorier kring läsande och mottagande. Denna interdisciplinära modell för narrativ etik är dock inte begränsad till min specifika sammansättning utan kan fungera som modell även för andra litteraturforskare, med alternativa kombinationer av tänkare och teoretiker. Till sist; trots att det inte varit ett uttalat mål från projektets början så har arbetet med det etiska i Farah’s trilogier generarat många funderingar kring den egna läsningen som efterhand lett till formulering av nya narratologiska perspektiv. Här utgör mötet mellan text och läsare en central del i avhandlingen. Genom att betona de etiska elementen i mötet mellan text och läsare närmar jag mig spörsmål som i förlängningen kan ses som byggstenar i en mera etiskt hållen läsemetodik. I stället för att tolka ”störande” element som exempel på estetiska brister, alternativt brister i författarens moraliska ansvarstagande (!) så menar jag att de aspekter som irriterar läsaren, försvårar eller rent av omöjliggör förståelse mycket väl kan vara de ting i texten som tvingar läsaren till en mera engagerad och därmed etiskt mer välgrundad läsning. Att läsa textens ”krux” i termer av ”ethical resource” utgör ett viktigt bidrag till såväl litteratur-filosofisk som narratologisk litteraturforskning, eftersom man ofta hamnat i endera värderande samtal kring ”god litteratur” eller i resonemang kring vilka narrativa element/strategier som väcker läsarens engagemang, empati, etc – och vilka som inte gör det. / This study explores the multiple ethical dimensions of the nine novels published between 1979 and 2011 that together constitute Nuruddin Farah’s three trilogies Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship, including Sweet and Sour Milk (1979), Sardines (1981), and Close Sesame (1983); Blood in the Sun, including Maps (1986), Gifts (1993), and Secrets (1998); and Past Imperfect, including Links (2003), Knots (2007), and Crossbones (2011). For all that separate these trilogies and novels thematically and stylistically, they are remarkably consistent in their enquiry. While firmly rooted in the geo-political particulars of Somalia, these novels stage human experience in ways that cut across time and place, inviting the reader to ponder a plethora of questions of profoundly ethical import: How can one remain human in the face of extreme adversities? How can one resist oppression in all its forms without becoming a perpetrator of that which one seeks to resist? What role may violence or non-violence have in seeking to see justice done? How far does responsibility for the other reach? How may dehumanizing forces be resisted in ways that preserve and even restore human dignity? By privileging the ethical in Farah’s ethico-political writing, the study draws attention to voices and perspectives that have gone unnoticed in previous readings, where political perspectives have dominated. Not only does a sustained analytical focus on how human dignity is valued, protected, preserved and even restored call for re-assessments of concepts such as ‘freedom,’ ‘resistance,’ and ‘moral responsibility.’ but the thesis’ highly text-centered approach has in the process of writing proved that Farah’s trilogies generate questions that demand a fuller exploration than what has hitherto been possible with a more limited emphasis on themes and narrative strategies. The use of a model in which five ‘ethical moments’ are explored thus allows for more extensive conclusions to be drawn, both regarding the ethics emerging in the trilogies themselves (‘ethics of the told,’ ‘ethics of telling’ and ‘ethics of writing’), in reading practices and critical reception (‘ethics of reading’), and my own research practice (‘ethics of method’). Ultimately, the study’s explorations of themes, narrative strategies, author’s responsibilities and critical response elucidate how Farah’s trilogies escape any narrow definition of what (African) (postcolonial) literature is or should be. By privileging the ethical trajectory – without losing sight of the strong political impetus of Farah’s writing – significant stories and perspectives surface that are no less political in their outlook than more conventional readings of “resistance writing.” By drawing on continental philosophy (Lévinas, Cavarero and Butler), narrative theory and postcolonial studies, this study brings fresh perspectives to bear on both familiar and less well-known material, while also contributing to new methodological frameworks within narrative ethics and new theoretical perspectives within narrative theory, not least as reflected in the final chapter’s discussion of imaginative challenges.