JEDDAH – The latest statistics released by the Interior Ministry reveals that 2,621 murders in various regions of the Kingdom in 1434 AH (2012-2013) were committed by Saudis while non-Saudis were responsible for 2,325 homicides during the year. According to a recent study, crime statistics released by the authorities are not accurate because of social factors, Al-Watan newspaper reported. Sarah Barakat Al-Juweir, a lecturer in sociology at King Saud University in Riyadh, stated in her study, titled "The motives of murders by men and women in Saudi society", only some crimes are made public through the media while many others are hushed up for various reasons and the authorities maintain a "discreet silence". Lawyer Abdulrahman Al-Subhi confirmed "discreet silence" on the part of the authorities in some murder cases, especially murders involving couples, because they bring shame and distress to close relatives, including children, and the community they live in. "Authorities are keen not to publicize such crimes because of their horrible nature or because they are rare. But when the crimes become a phenomenon then it becomes necessary to permit the disclosure of the details," he added. Al-Juweir explained that there are no clear motives for many deadly crimes within the family. Most of the time, such crimes occur because of a severe state of tension and psychological arousal that drive a person into criminal conduct. "Factors that arouse strong emotions driving people to violence include jealousy, hatred, revenge and shame," she said. Citing a recent study in the US, she said emotional deprivation and economic factors also play a role in homicide. The study categorized murders that took place within a specified period into three groups, namely crimes within family, crimes involving relatives and crime involving foreigners. "The study revealed that the homicide rate among men was more than the rate among women," she added. Criminology specialist at King Saud University Hamid Al-Shuraiji said the motives for men to commit murders, especially of wife or children, are psychological factors, including drug abuse or different social pressures. Al-Shuraiji said there are two types of murders: unplanned murders that occur spontaneously for specific reasons that lead to violence resulting in fatal injuries. "The second type is premeditated. These are the most dangerous because they are committed intentionally. The perpetrator is fully responsible before the law assuming the person was sane and fully aware of what he was doing. Unplanned crimes are debatable because they could occur when someone loses control of their actions and are no longer aware of what they are doing," he added.
