Report outlines the devastating impact of corporate fraud (20/08/07)
The devastating consequences of corporate fraud on victims remain largely hidden and the lessons ignored, argues a new report published today by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College London.
Knowledgeable consumers? Corporate fraud and its devastating impacts (Adobe PDF, 287KB) by Dr Basia Spalek of the University of Birmingham, is based on interviews with victims of corporate fraud. It shows that the harms caused are equivalent to, and often more devastating than, those usually focused on by the criminal justice system. Victims express a range of emotional and health problems, long-term financial difficulties and other impacts that are not fully appreciated by government policy.
One victim of the BCCI scandal said, 'Street crime can involve you being physically assaulted but with white-collar crime you are physically and mentally assaulted.'
Following analysis of interviews with the victims of the scandals relating to Robert Maxwell and the closure of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) the report concludes that:
- Victims of white-collar and corporate harms do not feature highly on victim policy agendas as they are not considered to be useful to the efficient running of the criminal justice system within the terms of current targets and objectives set by government.
- Financial abuses impact upon victims in multiple ways, producing emotional, psychological, behavioural, physical and financial reactions that can be severe and long-lasting.
- The harms caused by corporate fraud are equivalent to, and often more devastating than, those usually focused on by the criminal justice system.
- Economic liberalisation since the 1980s has created many 'sites of trust' that are open to crimes and abuses such as false accounting, fraud, conspiracy and the decimation of company pension schemes.
- There is little that employees and customers of deviant or unethical companies can do to avoid being victims of a wide range of abuses.
An embargoed copy of 'Knowledgeable consumers? Corporate fraud and its devastating impacts' by Dr Basia Spalek is available to download (PDF file, 288 kb)
The author of the report, Dr Basia Spalek of the University of Birmingham University, said,
'The idea that consumers and employees can protect themselves from corporate fraud is a chimera. Policy discussion should be focused on the long term impact of financial harm and the appropriate regulatory responses, rather than the constant obsession with the slackening of consumer rights and company responsibilities.'
Richard Garside, Director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, said,
'If the real scale of cost and impact of white-collar crime on its victims was properly documented it would raise big questions about the willingness and ability of the state to protect the population from serious harms. As it is, a significant source of social injustice remains hidden and unaddressed by government.'
To arrange interviews with the author or for further information contact:
Rebecca Roberts, CCJS on 020 7848 1685 or 07818 414717
Notes to editors:
- There are no case studies for interview because of the confidential nature of the research process.
- The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College London is an independent charity that informs and educates about all aspects of crime and criminal justice. We provide information, produce research and carry out policy analysis to encourage and facilitate an understanding of the complex nature of issues concerning crime. www.kcl.ac.uk/ccjs
- 'Knowledgeable consumers? Corporate fraud and its devastating impacts' by Dr Basia Spalek is published as part of the Harm and Society project, a policy development project of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. It aims to stimulate debate about the limitations of criminal justice and promote alternative perspectives on social harm, crime and social policy. www.harmandsociety.org.uk
- The views expressed in the report are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
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