Socially selective prosecution

Social inequality as a structuring element of society has been of crucial interest since the dawn of sociology. The terminology used to describe it has also changed, from the class concept of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to the initial differentiations made by Max Weber and Theodor Geiger with their class concept, and finally to the social milieus of Stefan Hradil. The aspect of 'criminality' is particularly interesting in this context. Does social class influence criminal prosecution? Are members of the lower social classes disadvantaged in criminal law? Key terms such as social class, crime and social control are explained, as are the institutions of criminal prosecution. Theoretical approaches such as the labelling approach and rational choice theory can help explain the relationship between social class and crime. Existing empirical findings on this subject are drawn on in this paper. In addition, surveys are conducted with law enforcement agencies on the social characteristics of individuals in criminal proceedings, such as education, occupation and income, in order to determine their social class.