ABSTRACT
Sex crimes have historically been considered male crimes, where the role of women is associated with the victim and not with the offender. This focus in criminological research has ignored the phenomenon of female sexual offenders. The foregoing, in addition to being further evidence of the exclusion of women in the dominant discourse of criminology and law, shows how sexism and gender stereotypes permeate the criminal justice system (CJS). By not sufficiently exploring this phenomenon women convicted of committing sexual crimes against children are deprived of adequate treatment. The study presented in this chapter sets out to address the experiences of women imprisoned for committing sexual offences against children in the Women’s Prison in Bogotá, Colombia. The results explore their experiences of the judicial process, revealing the great impact of the stigma associated with sexual offences on their experiences within the system. It also proposes a reflection on the need to seriously address this issue at a research and policy level.
