Factors that Influence Individuals to Become Murderers in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka death penalty had been in place since the times of the ancient kings and also under the colonial rulers as a means of preventing grave crimes including murder. From 1956 to 1959 and again after June 1976 death penalty was not carried out in Sri Lanka. However, the murder rate has declined from 7.6 to 2.4 even without the implementation of the death penalty. It is assumed that rather than the capital punishment for murder some other significant factors have contributed to a decline in the number of murders in the country. This study was conducted to identify the causes and motives that lead people to commit crime in Sri Lanka. Here the background of the offenders and the methods used for committing murder were solicited. The data were collected with regard to the 63 offenders selected from a random sample drawn from those convicted of murder and housed in Welikada prison in Sri Lanka. For the purpose of data collection semi-structure interview schedule and case study were utilized. The study has revealed that low-income earners and less educated individuals mostly tend to commit murder over minor matters in their daily life. Among a considerable number of people engaged in farming, laboring, fishing etc. tend to commit murder over the matters that might appear relatively trivial to other people. Previous enmity, family disputes, land disputes and drunkenness have been the precipitating motives of these offenders. This study suggests that the creation of awareness and the dissemination of knowledge among the low educated and low-income categories can cause a positive change in their conduct towards a peaceful and law-abiding life.