Does sex offending lead to homicide?

Abstract

Focusing on the 7,442 persons convicted of an indictable sexual offence in England and Wales in 1973, this study considers subsequent homicides (murder or manslaughter) over a 21-year follow-up period (to the end of 1994). There were 19 persons who were so convicted – or about 1 person out of every 400 sex offenders. This contrasts with an estimate of about 1 person in 3,000 for males in the general population. Those convicted of child-sex offences in 1973 were not more likely than other kinds of sex offenders to go on to commit homicide. Of the child-sex offenders that did, the victim was more likely to be an adult female stranger than a child. Other kinds of sexual offender, if they kill, are also more likely to kill an adult female, but probably in a rage or a quarrel in the domestic sphere. Age and previous violence are important predictors that need to be further considered.