Original scientific paper
Habitual Offenders before the Criminal Court: Cases Involving the Valjalo Family in Eighteenth-Century Dubrovnik.
Antun Koncul
orcid.org/0000-0002-0862-4155
Radmila Šutalo
orcid.org/0000-0003-0292-2335
Ivana Lazarević
orcid.org/0000-0001-7958-3269
; Zavod za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Dubrovniku, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Abstract
In the period 1719-1770, Stjepan Valjalo-Kutlić, his wife Marija, their sons Boško, Simo, Antun, Vicko and Miho, along with Boško’s wife Jakuša, appeared as either plaintiffs or defendants in 130 procedures before the Criminal Court of Dubrovnik, the bulk of which concerned petty offences. The reasons behind their frequent appearance in court were manifold: social, economic, geographical and seasonal. The members of the Valjalo family were most commonly involved in the cases of physical assault, but also crop damage. These cases indicate a territorially closed community, because the claims were mostly filed against the fellow-villagers with whom they contacted every day. The family hierarchy and Stjepan’s role as head and owner of the estate may have accounted for his more frequent involvement in the cases of crop damage, while his sons are traced as repeaters in the cases of physical assault. The analysis of the annual distribution of crime shows a rapid rise in the total number of cases with Stjepan’s sons coming of age. The cases involving this colourful family peaked in the winter months and dropped significantly during spring, which might be explained by their preoccupation with crop work and cattle pasturage. Their occupation had a double impact on their appearance before the court. As butchers, they worked at Komarda, an extramural area along the eastern access to the city, a setting which hosted lively scenes and brawls between the Valjalo family, customers and the fellow-butchers.The fact that the family lived in the vicinity of the city, at Bosanka, and that some of them worked in the slaughterhouse by the city gates, the court virtually being within their daily route, might account for the number of suits they brought to the court of law.
Keywords
Dubrovnik; 18th century; Valjalo family; Criminal Court; recidivism; seasonal distribution of crime
Hrčak ID:
164598
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2016.
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