Le tueur en série

Abstract

The emergence of the concept of “serial killer” and the individualization of a comprehensive definition were lengthy and difficult, during the 20th century. Many uncertainties still remain nowadays, when considering their mobiles, the operational modalities of crimes’ perpetration as well as the psychological or psychopathological motivations of the killers. This article presents several aspects of the clinical picture of serial crimes, which are discussed, considering their pathological or non-pathological aspects. Patients and methods. – A review of available literature on the topic is presented and analyzed, in order to elaborate a psychopathological study of the serial killers. The authors also present six clinical vignettes of French criminals, who committed 17 murders and at least five murderous attempts. The cases are described through a brief summary of their personal history, their criminal course and, for some of them, through their psychiatric journey. The psychopathological analysis of their murderous dynamics reveals a pathological narcissism, feelings of omnipotence, heroïzation and complex relations with psychotic, perverse-narcissistic traits and psychopathic, anti-social behaviours. Serial murders could be viewed as acts of omnipotence with a defensive function, against the risk of psychotic destructuration. The concept of narcissistic perversion could hence with serial killers, be illustrated in all its most dramatic and caricatural features.