Homicide
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Homicide (Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut, kill) refers to the act of killing another human being.[1] It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English. Although homicide does not define an illegal act necessarily, sometimes it is used synonymously with "murder."[citation needed]
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[edit] Non-criminal homicide
Homicides do not always involve a crime. Sometimes the law allows homicide by allowing certain defenses to criminal charges. One of the most recognized is self defense, which provides that a person is entitled to commit homicide to protect his or her own life from a deadly attack.
Some defenses include:
[edit] State-sanctioned homicide
Homicides may also be non-criminal when conducted with the sanction of the state. The most obvious example is capital punishment, in which the state determines that a person should die, but homicides committed during war are usually not subject to criminal prosecution as well.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- suicide - Killing of oneself
de:Tötungsdelikt es:Homicidio fa:قتل fr:Homicide hr:Ubojstvo it:Omicidio he:הריגה simple:Homicide sh:Ubojstvo fi:Henkirikos
