According to Dimen, the primal crime refers to the original act of violence that is at the root of human civilization. She argues that this violence is not only physical but also psychological, and it is perpetrated by those in power against those who are marginalized or oppressed. This act of violence is then perpetuated through social and cultural structures that maintain power imbalances and reinforce systemic oppression.
Dimen's concept of the primal crime is related to the psychoanalytic concept of the "primordial crime," which refers to the Oedipus complex and the murder of the father. However, Dimen's use of the term expands beyond this framework to encompass the broader social and cultural structures of power and oppression.