The O.J. Simpson Murder Case was one of the most publicized cases in the American judicial history. The defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, was found not guilty for both counts of murder. After the acquittal of O.J. Simpson, no any other arrests have been made with regards to the murder of Nicole Brown (O.J.’s wife) and her friend Ron Goldman. During the trial, matters of racism, mishandling of evidence, and Simpson’s celebrity status arose which were used to create reasonable doubt. Prior to the murder case, O.J. Simpson had been investigated several times for domestic violence by the police. In 1989, the defendant, O.J. Simpson pleaded ‘no contest’ to the charges of spousal abuse (Flynn, 2016). Brown filed for a divorce in 1992 from her husband O.J. Simpson citing irreconcilable differences. However, despite the divorce, O.J. Simpson allegedly continued to abuse his wife with Brown calling 9-1-1 in 1993 claiming that O.J. Simpson is going to beat her to death. Barely a year after this 9-1-1 call, Brown and her friend were found brutally murdered outside of her apartment (Anolik, 2014). Looking at the statistics of this case makes one wonder what the law enforcers were doing to ensure protection of the victim after the several claims she made that she was being domestically abused. Nicole Brown and many other murder victims that had reported of domestic and spousal violence would have been saved by the police if proper resources could have been used.
Stalking and Intimate Violence
Stalking refers to the unauthorized pursuit of an individual. Stalking is a more than once event and is usually accompanied by other actions such as harassment. Stalkers range from an ex-intimate or current intimate partner to a total stranger. Stalking can create fear in the victim and in some instances; it culminates to physical or sexual violence. Domestic violence criminals can use stalking as an efficient control tactic. Notably, stalking can be lethal in extreme cases. Moreover, previous intimate partners use stalking to intimidate their victims so as to regain power and control them. Most stalkers are typically male trying to intimidate their female counterparts. If the stalker and the victim had a weak relationship prior to the stalking, he is bound to be more delusional and mentally disturbed. Thus, stalking has high risks for fatality because the stalker has extensive knowledge of his victims and perfectly knows his/her routines (Office of the Prevention of Domestic Violence, 2018).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Figure 1: New York State Stalking Law: Penal Law Section 120.45
Victim’s Rights and Victim Protection
There are laws, procedures, policies and operational techniques that involve victim’s rights and victim protection. When a person identifies that he or she is being stalked, they have to take it seriously. The victims have to understand that stalking is correlated to violent behaviors. The victim should then communicate with a lawyer or advocate or the police to get to know more about the condition and how best to handle it. Moreover, the victim should be taught how to keep safe especially when they are alone such as at home. It is wise for the victim to keep records of the stalker’s activity and this can be used to identify a pattern that can be used to catch the criminal. It is also important for the involved parties including law enforcement officers, relatives and friends of the victim to assure her/him that it is not her fault that she is being stalked and everything is being done to ensure her protection. Restraining orders against the stalker should be filed and, if the stalking continues, then the stalker should be arrested and jailed to ensure the protection of the victim (Office of the Justice Programs, 2018).
From the results of the research, it was evident that Nicole Brown was not accorded her due diligence by the law enforcement officers. According to the Office of the Justice Programs, a victim has the right to dignity, sensitivity, fairness and respect; she has the right to restitution, privacy and protection from harassment and intimidation (Office of the Justice Programs, 2018). Nicole Brown was a victim of domestic violence and she reported the abuse more than once. It is shameful that despite her constant cry for help, her husband was never issued with a restraining order neither was he imprisoned or severely punished for repeated offence. She was an innocent victim who called out for help until her last breath without anyone listening.
Data Analysis
According to the Office of the Prevention of Domestic Violence, 2018, 81 percent of female victims of stalking have also been physically assaulted by their male stalker especially if the stalker is a former or current intimate partner. Out of the total number of victims, 31 percent of the female victims have been sexually abused by their stalker. Stalking affects the victims financially since 26 percent of the victims reported taking time from work due to the victimization. From these statistics it is obvious that stalking leads to intimate violence and in extreme cases (like that of Nicole Brown), homicide results. Nicole Brown did not discuss the effect her husband’s abuse had on her financial status. Additionally, sexual assault was never reported by the deceased. However, she lies among the 81 percent of female victims who were stalked by her ex-lover and was physically abused by him. O.J. Simpson abused his wife way before they got divorced and continued to do so even after the divorce. This could only be achieved by a certain degree of stalking to identify her every move and every company she makes.
Victimology Theory
For the case of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown, the theory that best describes the victim- offender relationship is victim precipitation theory. The theory proposes that some people initiate the confrontation with the perpetrator which ultimately leads to injury or fatality. Initiation of confrontation can be active or passive and the victim may have done it unknowingly (Hollier, 2017). For this couple, the wife stayed with her husband even after years of physical and emotional abuse. According to police records, Brown reported that she had been abused her husband over 8 times and each time she reported it to the police departments without help (Rimer, 1994). Even after the first domestic abuse report, she continued to be with her husband and only divorced a few years later.
Conclusion
Nicole Brown was an innocent victim of domestic violence that culminated in a homicide. This is a story told all over country day in day out for thousands of victims. The law of the country calls for the protection of the victim which it is expected to be upheld without fail. However, domestic abusers are constantly released from remand and sent back to the streets to haunt the women they once claimed to love. These stalkers will disrupt the daily lives of the victims physically, sexually, and emotionally rendering them afraid to live their normal lives. In extreme cases, stalking is lethal to the victims. Consequently, intimate partner-violence laws along with stalking laws have undergone vast improvements in the recent past because of the increased awareness and education for law makers, enforcers, and interpreters. This can only help as an assurance to the victims that justice will be served for them and they will not fall victims of murder as Nicole Brown did.
References
Anolik, L. (2014). How O.J. Simpson Killed Popular Culture. Vanity Fair
Flynn, C. (2016). O.J. Simpson’s Domestic Abuse Allegations from before the Trial Are Disturbing. Bustle
Hollier, R. (2017). Victimology: Four Major Theories. The Law Project
Office of the Justice Programs, (2018). About Victims’ Rights. Victim Law . Retrieved on July 31, 2018 from www.victimlaw.org/victimlaw/pages/victimsRight.jsp
Office of the Prevention of Domestic Violence, (2018). Domestic Violence and Stalking. Retrieved on July 31, 2018 from www.opdv.ny.gov/professionals/
Rimer, S. (1994). The Simpson Case: The Marriage; Handling Of 1989 Wife Beating Case Was A Terrible Joke, Prosecutor Says. The New York Times
