Editing Crime (section)

=== Criminal ===
A criminal is an individual who commits a crime. What constitutes a criminal can vary depending on the context and the law, and it often carries a pejorative connotation.{{Sfn|Fattah|1997|pp=123–124}} Criminals are often seen as embodying certain stereotypes or traits and are seen as a distinct type of person from law-abiding citizens. Despite this, no mental or physical trend is identifiable that differentiates criminals from non-criminals.{{Sfn|Fattah|1997|pp=125–126}} Public response to criminals may be indignant or sympathetic. Indignant responses involve resentment and a desire for vengeance, wishing to see criminals removed from society or made to suffer for harm that they cause. Sympathetic responses involve compassion and understanding, seeking to rehabilitate or forgive criminals and absolve them of blame.{{Sfn|Hoefnagels|1973|pp=16–17}}

In the modern era, a criminal is a [[human]] being.  Historically, from ancient times until the 19th century, many societies believed that non-human [[animal]]s were capable of committing crimes, and prosecuted and punished them accordingly.<ref name="Girgen">{{cite journal |last1=Girgen |first1=Jen |date=2003 |title=The Historical and Contemporary Prosecution and Punishment of Animals |url=https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/26566-9cgirgen |url-status=live |journal=Animal Law Journal |volume=9 |pages=97 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229201226/https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/26566-9cgirgen |archive-date=29 December 2019 |access-date=1 October 2017}}</ref> Prosecutions of animals gradually dwindled during the 19th century, although a few were recorded as late as the 1910s and 1920s.<ref name="Girgen" />