Heckler & Koch in Mexiko

Eine Untersuchung zum Vorkommen von Neutralisierungstechniken bei den beteiligten Mitarbeitern

Abstract

Between 2006 and 2009 the arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch exported weapons to Mexico neglecting official requirements. Those weapons were used for attacks against the civil population. The text examines which self-justifications and explanations operated regarding the employees concerning the illegal acts and their consequences based on the five techniques of neutralization by Sykes and Matza and by reference to statements extracted from court records. For this purpose, after a short portrayal of each particular technique the author analyses whether and in which form the technique can be found in statements of the employees.