Question

'Penal Couple' are referred to as:

• A. two partners who are friends and commit crime together
• B. husband and wife committing crime together
• C. the offender and the victim
• D. the police and the offender

Hint:

Victimology studies not only criminals but also victims and their interaction with offenders during the crime process.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The concept of “Penal Couple” belongs to Victimology, which studies the relationship between the offender and the victim in the process of crime.

Step 1: Understand the meaning of Penal Couple.
The term “Penal Couple” was introduced by Benjamin Mendelsohn, one of the pioneers of Victimology. It refers to the two principal parties involved in a crime.

Step 2: Identify the two parties.
The two essential elements of a crime are:
• The Offender – the person committing the crime.
• The Victim – the person against whom the crime is committed.

Step 3: Eliminate incorrect options.
Options involving friends committing crime, husband-wife crime partnerships, or police-offender relationships do not represent the criminological concept of a penal couple.

Step 4: Final conclusion.
Thus, the Penal Couple refers to the offender and the victim. Therefore, the correct answer is Option (C).