This captivating history exposes a clandestine world of family and
community secrets -- incest, abortion, and infanticide -- in the
early modern Venetian republic.
With the keen eye of a detective, Joanne M. Ferraro follows the
clues in individual cases from the criminal archives of Venice and
reconstructs each one as the courts would have done according to
the legal theory of the day. Lawmakers relied heavily on the
depositions of family members, neighbors, and others in the
community to establish the veracity of the victims' claims. Ferraro
recounts this often colorful testimony, giving voice to the field
workers, spinners, grocers, servants, concubines, midwives,
physicians, and apothecaries who gave their evidence to the courts,
sometimes shaping the outcomes of the investigations.
Nefarious Crimes, Contested Justice also traces shifting
attitudes toward illegitimacy and paternity from the late sixteenth
through the eighteenth centuries. Both the Catholic Church and the
Republic of Venice tried to enforce moral discipline and regulate
sex and reproduction. Unmarried pregnant women were increasingly
stigmatized for engaging in sex. Their claims for damages because
of seduction or rape were largely unproven, and the priests and
laymen they were involved with were often acquitted of any
wrongdoing. The lack of institutional support for single motherhood
and the exculpation of fathers frequently led to abortion, infant
abandonment, or infant death.
In uncovering these hidden sex crimes, Ferraro exposes the
further abuse of women by both the men who perpetrated these
illegal acts and the courts that prosecuted them.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
