Law / 5. Criminal Law and Criminology

A. P. Alexeyeva, Bachelor of Law Science, Assistant Professor

Volgograd Academy of Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs

Typology of Criminals - Professional Sportsmen Committing Crimes Not Connected With Their Direct Sports Activity

Criminality in the sphere of professional sports is rather a new direction for research. Its studying is limited so far to some scientific papers describing separate aspects of this phenomenon. [1] Meanwhile, the official statistic count of such crimes in Russia is not conducted yet. Therefore now it is rather complicated to track quantitative and qualitative characteristics of criminals committing crimes in the sphere of professional sports. It is only possible to try to divide criminals whose crimes have become known to mass media, into several types.

The current study deals with the typology of professional sportsmen who have committed crimes not connected with their direct sports activity. More often these are retired sportsmen previously engaged, for example, in martial arts or shooting. Not everybody is satisfied with the prospect of further working as a coach, so retired sportsmen having not applied themselves in the society choose the most "worthy" one from criminal groups’ numerous offers to join them, and agree to it.

The specified acts of sportsmen are expressed in committing "usual" common crimes which have not been caused by their direct professional activity. Therefore we used the following bases to classify them:

1) According to the motive of criminal acts, criminals can be divided into several types: violent, mercenary, mercenary-violent, etc.

Unfortunately, the displays of violence by sportsmen are met rather often. Thus on February 10, 1998, Martin Frainademetz, an Austrian sportsman nicknamed «Terminator» who was the seventh in huge slalom at Nagano Olympics (Japan), made uproar in one of the Olympic hotels. At the banquet with snowboarders from several other countries, he lost his temper and broke some pieces of furniture and a computer. The damage of $ 4,000 was completely compensated for by the offender in some days. On February 11, 1998, Terminator was evicted from the Olympiad under the request of Austria’s Olympic Committee and the national snowboard team. [2]

Criminals committing crimes with mercenary motives are also characteristic of sports sphere. Thus the most notorious scandal was connected with numerous shop thefts in Sydney Olympic village (Australia) in 2000. [3] Swiss watches, sportswear, as well as caps which were easiest to steal, enjoined the greatest demand among the dishonest village inhabitants. In general opinion, team sportsmen who by virtue of their occupation could "cover" each other best of all, were under the greatest suspicion. The damage caused to the shops was estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 Australian dollars.

2) According to the place of crime commitment, criminals can be divided into several types: urban, rural, street, etc.

Sportsmen seldom dare to move to the country for permanent residence, so their criminality is mainly urban. The indicative case of such criminality was registered in the city of St. Petersburg. In February, 2007 the criminal gang in which the 2006 world champion in fight-without-rules Vyacheslav Datsik participated, was arrested on suspicion of armed robberies of mobile phone shops.

The first robbery was committed by the criminals in the autumn of 2006. They operated according to the same scheme: late at night before the shop closing, two or three men rushed into the premises where at the moment, as a rule, there were only employees. Under the gun threat, they stole daily receipts and mobile phones from show-windows. Militiamen made an ambush and three men were detained: Datsik, his gang-mate and a buy-up clerk.

Datsik is a well-known person in sports. From the late 90s he participated in the fights of Thai Boxing Federation. He is spoken about as a courageous fighter preferring to force his way in any single combat. In 2003, Datsik became the champion of Russia in pancration, the prize-winner of the International tournaments in Minsk and Kiev, and the world champion in the autumn of 2006. [4]

Thus national sportsmen as well as common people have always committed crimes. But earlier, during the Soviet epoch, these were incidental manifestations motivated by the desire to raise money from the difference in prices and goods shortage (abroachment, smuggling) or were of household character (hooliganism, physical injuries).

Along with the beginning of a large-scale antialcoholic campaign, sportsmen’s gangs started their purposeful regular criminal activity. In Russia, bootlegging formed the basis for creating «the initial capital» of criminal gangs, for strengthening their power and influence.

Swindle operations with cars and gambling became two more kinds of sportsmen’s criminal craft. The criminal case brought into court on the fact of extortion of money and valuables from a visitor of a billiard club can be a characteristic example [5]:

«On January 7th, 2007, at 20.30 complainant N (born in 1968) being in a condition of light alcoholic intoxication, came into the SHARman billiard club to play some parties. In the gambling-hall he was approached by K (born in 1983) who introduced herself as a casual guest of the club, and suggested making him company for the game. N agreed.

Before the game started, K and N agreed to play for money. 1,000 roubles was the first stake. During the game K demonstrated the full absence of game skills, and N won easily. Therefore they decided to increase the second stake. K promised to stay overnight with N in case of her loss, and N staked his Toyota Rav 4. After the first cue strikes N realized that he had been deceived. K played professionally making no mistakes. Then N was approached by two men (B and P) who suggested him to deed his car over to K. N refused to do it, and he was made go out and beaten. B and P threatened N with murder if he didn’t issue the general letter of attorney for K within 24 hours.

N applied to militia, then the whole criminal gang was detained.

The investigation found out, that K was a professional billiard-player, a multi prize-winner of the city and regional competitions. She had to enter the criminal arrangement with former boxers B and P under difficult life circumstances».

Certainly, both crooked gambling and automobile swindling had been known for a long time, they attracted attention of experts in the 80s of the 20 century. But in those days they didn’t have such a widespread character and were not kinds of criminal business. These kinds of activity started to be considered as a source of regular criminal income only at the moment when groups of vigorous young men entered it being mainly sportsmen focused on raising money in any possible way. In other words, sportsmen became that very social group which turned out to be the most prepared (physically and psychologically) for living in the new conditions of social control serious weakening for the sake of market ideology.

Simultaneously the organizational structure of criminal communities began to spring up and improve. That is when racket took one of the main places in the sphere of criminal activity of sportsmen criminals. Organized crime is genetically connected with racket. Its occurrence both abroad and in this country began with the establishment of control over the illegal activity of spirits dealers, whoremasters and prostitutes, drug dealers.

Accordingly, in due course of time crimes of professional sportsmen became more and more severe: participation in ОCG, impudent murders, robberies, etc.

In our opinion, such a situation is a consequence of the long protracted government’s inattention to the problems of professional sports. Professional sportsmen, the champions of international competitions who protected the honour of this country at such a high level, often carry not only awards away from the podium. Numerous fractures, broken off ligaments, bruises and concussions are an underside of the medals received in sports competitions. It could be very difficult for sports heroes who left sports to get accustomed to new life conditions. Very frequently they are not able to find a worthy place of work, have to get used to vegetation, and sometimes to unreserved poverty. Neither a trainer, nor team mates capable to support happen to be alongside. And many from "exes" stumble and get in jail: their single combat with reality is judged not by sports rules but by the Criminal Code articles.

For professional sports to develop and for as few sportsmen as possible to get in jails, serious material support for sports is necessary. [6] It is very important that sportsmen leaving big sports after they became honoured masters and prize-winners of competitions, could find worthy places of work for themselves, and feel that they are necessary to the nation they gave their youth, health, for which they won glory and recognition.

References

1. See, for example: Beletsky, V.V. Criminologicheskaya characteristica i preduprezhdeniye prestupnosti sredi sportsmenov (The Criminological Characteristic and Prevention of Criminality Among Sportsmen): Avtoref. dis…kand. yurid. nauk: 12.00.08 / V.V. Beletsky. Omsk: Omsk State. Un., 1996; Bobylev O.V. Ugolovno-pravovye i ciminologicheskie aspecty borby s prestupleniyami nesovershennoletnikh, zanimayushchikhsya sportom (Criminally-legal and Criminological Aspects of Struggle Against Crimes of the Underaged Going in for Sports): Dis…kand. yurid. Nauk: 12.00.08 /O.V. Bobylev, 1993, etc.

2. Olimpiiskie volneniya: XVIII zimmie Olimpiiskie igry, Nagano (Japoniya) (Olympic Excitements: XVIII Winter Olympic Games, Nagano (Japan) February, 7-22, 1998. Organizational scandal) //Vlast. 32 (585). 8/16/2004.

3. Olimpiiskie volneniya: XVIII letnie Olimpiiskie igry, Sydney (Avstralia) (Olympic Excitements: XXVII Summer Olympic Games, Sydney (Australia) September, 15h - October, 1, 2000. Organizational scandal) // Vlast. 32 (585). 8/16/2004.

4. Zhizn: Chempion mira po boyam bez pravil grabil salony sotovoi svyazi Peterburga (Life: the World champion in fight-without-rules robbed mobile phone shops in Petersburg) // Tomskii obzor: <http://obzor.westsib.ru/news/144700/print>

5. From the materials of criminal case #049165. // Archive of the Central Volgograd Court, 2007.

6. See for more detail: Pobeditelei ne sudyat? (The winner is always right?) // Trud. 100. 6/14/2002.