Crime and punishment
1
General expressions:
to commit a crime
to offend the law
ein Verbrechen begehen
to commit suicide
He committed suicide.
Selbstmord begehen
delinquency
–> juvenile/youth delinquency
Kriminalität
crime rate
Verbrechens-, Kriminalitätsrate
offender
syn: lawbreaker, delinquent
Übeltäter, Gesetzesbrecher
perpetrator
the perpetrator of this crime
Täter
recidivist
Wiederholungstäter
felon
(Schwer)verbrecher
felony
(schweres) Verbrechen
victim
Opfer
Crimes:
theft
person: thief (pl. thieves); to steal
Diebstahl
robbery
to rob a person/a place
Raub
pickpocket
action: pickpocketing
Taschendieb
burglary
2
Einbruch
to threaten
noun: threat
(be)drohen
to assault
to attack; an assault/attack
angreifen
thug
a violent criminal
Schläger
viciously
cruelly, brutally
bösartig, brutal
to mug
to attack and rob someone
überfallen und berauben
arsonist
–> to set fire
Brandstifter
sniper
ambush
Heckenschütze
to ambush
Überfall aus dem Hinterhalt
Some soldiers were killed in an ambush.
white-collar crime
Wirtschaftsverbrechen
cybercrime
person: cybercriminal
Internetkriminalität
to vandalize
noun: vandalism
verwüsten
property
Eigentum
to extort money
He extorted money from her.
Geld erpressen
to bully someone
person: bully
tyrannisieren, mobben
to slander
to bribe
to betray
jmd. verleumden
noun: bribery
bestechen
verraten
3
to abduct someone
child abduction; person: abductor
entführen
to kidnap someone; to hijack a car/plane
to forge
noun: forgery
fälschen
abuse (noun)
to abuse
Missbrauch
rape (vb/n)
person: rapist
vergewaltigen, Vergewaltigung
sexual harassment
murder
sexuelle Belästigung
person: murderer
Mord
manslaughter
Totschlag
homicide (sp)
Mord, Totschlag
genocide
Völkermord
assassination
to assassinate; person: assassin
Ermordung (besonders eines
namhaften Politikers)
conspiracy
Verschwörung
treason
Hochverrat
traitor
Verräter
Police investigation:
warrant
Haftbefehl
search warrant
Durchsuchungsbefehl
to investigate
(z.B. eine Straftat) untersuchen
suspect
Verdächtige(r)
suspicion
adj.: suspicious
Verdacht
to arrest
<–> to release
festnehmen, verhaften
custody
The suspect will remain in custody until
Gewahrsam, Haft
his trial.
4
Lawsuit:
court
–> juvenile court
Gerichtshof
courtroom
Gerichtssaal
trial
Gerichtsverfahren, Prozess
accused
syn.: defendant
defender
Angeklagte
Verteidiger
attorney (A.E.)
barrister (B.E.); lawyer
Rechtsanwalt
prosecution
to prosecute
strafrechtliche Verfolgung
public prosecutor
Staatsanwalt
judge
Richter
jury
group of 12 jurors whose task it is to find
Jury
the verdict
juror
a member of a jury
Geschworener
to sue
progressive form: suing
(auf Schadenersatz) verklagen
to bring a charge against
charge
to accuse someone of a crime
He was arrested on charges of burglary
jmd. anklagen
Beschuldigung, Anklage
and theft.
accusation
5
to accuse
An-, Beschuldigung; Anklage
indictment
Anklage
to blame s.b. for s.th. –> to blame oneself for s.th.
jdm. die Schuld an etwas geben
culprit
Schuldige, Übeltäter
witness
Zeuge
evidence
some evidence (uncountable!)
Beweis
synonym: proof
to prove
beweisen
to confess
noun: confession
gestehen
to plead guilty
<–> to plead not guilty
sich für schuldig bekennen
to plead - pleaded/pled - pleaded/pled
to deny
leugnen; verweigern
to testify
(vor Gericht) aussagen,
bezeugen
to take an oath
Eid ablegen
perjury
to commit perjury
to cross-examine s.b.
Meineid
jmd. ins Kreuzverhör nehmen
conviction
–> a convicted criminal
Verurteilung
verdict
decision of the jury whether a defendant
Urteilsspruch (der Geschwore-
is guilty or not
nen)
–> a unanimous verdict
einstimmig
unanimous
to acquit of (a crime) noun: acquittal
innocence
–> to be innocent
to caution s.b.
to appeal
freisprechen
Unschuld
jdn. (ver)warnen
They intend to appeal against their convic- (bei Gericht) Berufung einlegen
tions; court of appeal
6
Punishment:
penalty
punishment
Strafe
life sentence
lebenslange Freiheitsstrafe
fine
Geldstrafe
reward
Belohnung
to condemn
etwas verdammen, verurteilen
to sentence
noun: sentence
verurteilen
inmate
syn.: prisoner, convict
Gefängnisinsasse, Häftling
to jail
to imprison
einsperren
solitary confinement
Einzelhaft
to sentence to death
zum Tode verurteilen
capital punishment
death penalty
Todesstrafe
death row
to be on death row
Todestrakt
irrevocable
irreversible
unwiderruflich
bail
The defendant was released on bail.
Kaution, Bürgschaft
probation
syn.: parole –> to be on parole/probation
Bewährung
probation officer
Bewährungshelfer
borstal
detention centre
Erziehungsanstalt
community service
work that is not paid that someone does to
gemeinnützige Arbeit
help other people, sometimes as
Sozialstunden (ableisten)
punishment for a crime
7
Miscellaneous expressions:
social worker
to rehabilitate
Sozialarbeiter
noun: rehabilitation
rehabilitieren;
(Drogenab-hängige) therapieren
deterrent
something that discourages people to do
Abschreckung
s.th. as they are afraid of the consequences
curfew
to be under curfew
Ausgangssperre
surveillance
to keep somebody under surveillance
Überwachung
hotspot
Brennpunkt
conviction
<–> doubt; to be convinced
Überzeugung
CCTV
closed circuit television
Fernseh-(Video-)überwachung
right to privacy
Recht auf Privatsphäre
to spy on
ausspionieren
metal detector
Metalldetektor
legislation
Gesetzgebung
constitution
e.g. the American Constitution
Verfassung
severe
<–> lenient; e.g. severe/tough sentences
schwerwiegend, hart
security
adj.: secure
Sicherheit
to advocate
befürworten
to estimate
schätzen
humane
human
e.g. a humane punishment
human
menschlich