Translate Jurnal World Society of Victimology 3

Benjamin Mendelsohn, Pendiri Viktimologi, dalam Kenangan

Jo-Anne Wemmers (diterjemahkan oleh; Aliyth Prakarsa)

Benjamin Mendelsohn, wafat pada hari Minggu, 25 Januari 1998 di Jerusalem, Israel. Benjamin Mendelsohn lahir pada 23 April 1900 di Bucharest, Rumania, tempat dia mendapatkan gelar sarjana hukumnya. Mendelsohn adalah seorang pengacara dan perhatiannya terhadap korban mula-mula dalam rangka untuk menegaskan pengadilan agar memberikan kontribusi korban dalam aturan pidana. Pada 1937, dia menerbitkan sendiri sistem yang berurusan dengan perlindungan hukum, berdasarkan analisis terhadap aturan pidana. Selama tahun 1937–1947, Mendelsohn kembali mengembangkan sistemnya yang telah diatemukan untuk melindungi para penjahat dan pada tahun 1947 dia memperkenalkan Viktimologi – ilmu mengenai korban – dalam sebuah perkuliahan yang dia berikan pada anggota Perkumpulan Psikiatri Rumania (The Rumanian Psychiatric Society)

Teori Viktimologi pertamanya umumnya berisi tentang kategori para korban berdasarkan kontribusi mereka dalam pemunculan kejahatan. Kemudian di tahun-tahun berikutnya Benjamin Mendelsohn meninggalkan posisi ini. Pada 1969 Benjamin Mendelsohn memperkenalkan Viktimologi lanjutan, berkaitan dengan banyak pemunculan tipe korban termasuk teori kecelakaan dan korban genosida. Perluasan teori ini lebih jauh didalami oleh Mendelsohn dan pada tahun 1975 hal ini menjadi ”Viktimologi Umum” (General Victimology) penekanan pada kenyataannya bahwa Viktimologi lebih dari sekedar Viktimologi penal, tetapi juga termasuk studi terhadap seluruh korban. Meskipun kejadian korban diluar kendali manusia seperti bencana alam juga dimasukkan dalam Viktimologi Umum ini.

Banyak pemikiran Von Hentig dalam pembentukkan Viktimologi. Namun, Von Hentig tidak pernah menggunakan istilah Viktimologi. Von Hentig memberikan dasar penelitian akademis dalam perhatian korban kejahatan. Tetapi Mendelsohn yang pertama kali berhubungan dengan kepribadian para korban dengan cara ilmiah. Mendelsohn adalah yang pertama kali menggunakan istilah ”Viktimologi”, pada 1977 yang menunjukkan pendirian Perkumpulan Dunia Viktimologi (World Society of Victimology WSV). Pakar Viktimologi saat ini melanjutkan perjuangan dengan banyak kesamaan pemikiran yang mula-mula dibentuk oleh Mendelsohn.

Selama beberapa tahun penelitian mengenai peran korban dalam kejahatan dianggap hal tabu. Namun baru-baru ini, perdebatan mengenai peran korban telah kembali dibuka. Pada Simposium Viktimologi Internasional ke 10 yang diadakan di Amsterdam pada Agustus 1997, beberapa artikel yang memusatkan perhatian pada pendampingan korban dan pencegahan kejahatan. Didorong oleh penelitian viktimisasi berulang, Viktimolog kemudian meninjau ulang pada peran korban dalam kejadian kejahatan dan menggunakan informasi ini untuk membantu menghindari Viktimisasi di masa depan. WSV berhutang jasa pada Mendelsohn dan akan terus mempertahankan dan menghidupkan kontribusinya.

Catatan; Ringkasan pemikiran Mendelsohn diatas berdasarkan: Hoffman,Hanoch, What didMendelsohn Really Say? Dalam; Internatinal Faces of Criminology. Sarah Ben David dan Gerd Ferdinand Kirchhof (ed), WSV Publishing, 1992, Monchengladbach.

Bahan rujukan:

1. Mendelsohn, B. Metodhe a Utiliser par la Defenseur pour les Recherches Concertant la Personalite du Criminal. Dalam: Reveu de Droit Penal et de Criminologie et Archives Internationales de Medicine Legale, 1937, 877-891.

2. Mendelsohn,B. Une Novelle Branche de la Science Bio-Psycho-Sociale; la Viktimologie. Dalam; Reveue Internationales de Criminologie et de Police Techniques, 1965

3. Mendelsohn, B. Les Infractions Commises sous le regime Nasi Sont-Eiles des Crimes ou sosu Du Droit Commun? Dalam; Revue De Droit Internasionale De Sciences Diplomatiques et Politiques, 1965,

4. Mendelsohn, B. Le Rapport Entre la Victimologie et le problem du Genocide (Schema d`un Code du Genocide). Dalam; Etudes De Psycho-Sociologie Criminelle, 1969, 16 dan 17

5. Mendelsohn, B. Victimology and the Needs of Contemporary Society. Dalam; The Israeli Annals of Psychiatry and Related Disciplines, 1973 (11),

6. Mendelsohn, B. Victimology and Contemporary Society's Trends. In: Victimology - An International Journal, 1976 (1) 8-28.

Untuk informasi lebih lanjut mengenai publikasi Benjamin Mendelsohn hubungi WSV di: wsvbib@hotmail.com

In memory of Benjamin Mendelsohn, Founder of Victimology
Jo-Anne Wemmers

On Sunday, January 25th 1998, Benjamin Mendelsohn died in Jerusalem, Israel. Benjamin Mendelsohn was born on April 23rd 1900 in Bucharest, Rumania, where he obtained his law degree. Mendelsohn was a penal lawyer and his initial interest in the victim originated in his intention to point out to the court the contribution of the victim to the criminal act. In 1937, he published his own system of dealing with penal defence, based on the analysis of the criminal act. During the years 1937 - 1947, Mendelsohn continued to develop his system which he had invented for the defence of criminals and in 1947 he introduced Victimology - the science of the victim - in a lecture he gave to members of The Rumanian Psychiatric Society.

His first version of Victimology consisted mainly of victims' categorization according to their contribution to the occurrence of the crime. However, in later years Mendelsohn abandoned this position. In 1969 Mendelsohn presented an extended Victimology, dealing with victims of many types of occurrences including work accidents and victims of genocide. This extended version of victimology was further extended by Mendelsohn and in 1975 it became a "General Victimology" emphasizing the fact that Victimology was more than penal victimology, it included the study of all kinds of victims. Even victims of events beyond human control such as natural disasters were included in his General Victimology.

Many credit Hans Von Hentig with the foundation of victimology. However Von Hentig never used the term Victimology. Von Hentig laid the basis for academic research concerning the victim of crime. But Mendelsohn was the first to deal scientifically with the personality of the victim. Mendelsohn was the one who introduced the term "Victimology" and presented it as a new discipline. He took an active part in the meeting in Münster, in 1977, which marked the founding of the WSV. Victimologists today continue to struggle with many of the same issues which were first raised by Mendelsohn.

For several years research on the role of victims of crime was considered taboo. Recently however, the debate on the role of the victim has been reopened. At the 10th International Symposium on Victimology held in Amsterdam in August 1997, several papers focussed on victim assistance and crime prevention. Spurred by the research on repeat victimization, victimologists are once again looking at the role of the victim in the criminal event and using this information to help avoid future victimization. The WSV is indebted to him will strive to keep the memory of his contribution alive.

Notes: The above synopsis of Mendelsohn's work is based on: Hoffman, Hanoch, What did Mendelsohn Really say? In: International Faces of Criminology. Sarah Ben David and Gerd Ferdinand Kirchhoff (eds.), WSV Publishing, 1992, Monchengladbach.

Suggested Reading:

1. Mendelsohn, B. Methode a Utliser par la Defenseur pour les Recherches Concertant la Personalite du Criminal. In: Revue de Droit Penal et de Criminologie et Archives Internationales de Mdicine Legale, 1937, 877-891.

2. Mendelsohn, B. Une Novelle Branche de la Science Bio-Psycho-Sociale: La Victimologie. In: Reveue Internationale de Criminoligie et de Police Technique, 1956,

3. Mendelsohn, B. Les Infractions Commises sous le Regime Nasi Sont-Eiles des Crimes ou sons Du Droit Commun? In: Revue De Droit Internationale De Sciences Diplomatiques et Politiques, 1965,

4. Mendelsohn, B. Le Rapport Entre La Victimoligie et le Problem du Genocide (Schema d'un Code du Genocide). In: Etudes De Psycho-Sociologie Criminelle, 1969, 16 and 17.

5. Mendelsohn, B. Victimology and the Needs of Contemporary Society. In: The Israeli Annals of Psychiatry and Related Disciplines, 1973 (11),

6. Mendelsohn, B. Victimology and Contemporary Society's Trends. In: Victimology - An International Journal, 1976 (1) 8-28.

For more information on publications by Benjamin Mendelsohn consult the bibliography of the WSV at: wsvbib@hotmail.com