''Crimen injuria'' is a
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
under
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
n
common law
Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
, defined as the act of "
unlawfully, intentionally, and seriously impairing the dignity of another."
Although difficult to precisely define, the crime is used in the prosecution of certain instances of
road rage
Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by people driving a vehicle. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists in an ...
,
stalking
Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitorin ...
,
,
emotional or psychological abuse, and
sexual offences against children.
Etymology
The phrase ''
crimen injuria'' is Latin, short for ''crimen injuria datum'', meaning "offence committed without lawful cause".
References
Crimes
South African criminal law
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