SCL Lecture - A typology of perpetrators of mass atrocities

International crimes are by definition manifestations of collective violence in which many people are involved. These perpetrators are not all the same though, as there are many differences between them in their role, rank and motives.

The aim of this presentation is to present the different types of perpetrators and explain how they work together, what their role in the overall dynamic is and how diverse their motives can be. It aims to thus give a better understanding of the interaction and dynamic between the various types perpetrators and will provide us with a better and deeper understanding of why human beings commit mass atrocities.

This understanding does not only have a scientific value but it can also help both policy makers aiming to prevent atrocities and international criminal lawyers to, in a fairer way, attribute individual criminal responsibility by taking the actual level of blameworthiness of each type of perpetrator into account - based on a better understanding of the social dynamic which shapes human behaviour.

Moderator:
Dr. Gabriele Chlevickaite (Researcher, T.M.C. Asser Institute)

Speaker:
Prof. dr. Alette Smeulers (University of Groningen and University College Groningen)

Panelists:
Dr. Sergey Vasiliev (Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam)
Pubudu Sachithanandan LLM (Trial Lawyer, International Criminal Court)
Dr. Maartje Weerdesteijn (Assistant Professor, VU Amsterdam)
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