The book is filled with examples of injustice—such as Dmitri attacking Ilyusha's father and Fyodor abusing Lizaveta—but none of these wrongs are ever corrected or punished. The legal system is portrayed as a mockery of justice. Courts, lawyers, and penalties seem to be intended for the vulnerable and often prove to be ineffective. In the story, criminals end up punishing themselves and seeking their own redemption. This emphasizes the growing significance of the church; when secular society fails to effectively punish wrongdoers, religion must instill a sense of guilt and provide eventual punishment for sinners.