Christie's ideal victim
Christie identified characteristics of 'ideal victim' receiving maximum sympathy: blameless, vulnerable, innocent, attacked by evil stranger. Real victims who don't fit this ideal receive less sympathy and justice.
Real World
Media coverage of Madeleine McCann — a young, white, middle-class girl — generated global sympathy and a decade of police resources, while missing Black and working-class children received minimal coverage, demonstrating Christie's ideal victim in practice.
Exam Focus
Always link Christie to intersectionality — examiners reward candidates who specify how gender, class, and ethnicity combine to determine victim status.
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