Serial Rapists Research Articles

Serial and single‐victim rapists: differences in crime‐scene violence, interpersonal involvement, and criminal sophistication

Three categories of crime-scene behaviors (violence, interpersonal involvement, and criminal sophistication) among a group of 22 serial and 22 single-victim rapists were studied. Findings indicate that serial rapists were more likely to display a higher level of criminally sophisticated behaviors to avoid detection, whereas single-victim rapists were more likely to behave violently and engage in some form of interpersonal involvement with their victims. Implications of these findings for investigation and for understanding offenders' behavior are discussed.

Predicting the Time Interval Till the Next Crime Using a Bayesian Network Model Based on Severity of the Serial Rapists' Criminality

The relationship between serial rapist type and the time interval from the first to the second crime was investigated in Study 1. A Bayesian Network (BN) model, included rapists' type derived in Study 1 and the time interval from the first to the second crime, was constructed to predict the time interval till the second crime, and this model was tested in Study 2. In Study 1, 147 serial rapists were classified according to the severity of the rapists' criminality by using categorical principal components analysis (CatPCA). Results indicated that the interval from the first to the second crime for rapists with a low severity of the criminality (mean 158.0 days) was longer than that for rapists with a high severity of the criminality (mean 82.1 days). In Study 2, A BN model was constructed from the following variables: rapists' characteristic derived in Study 1 (the severity of the criminality), time interval from the first to the second crime, as well as criminal behaviors. The model was tested by using new data, 20 serial rapists committed, as virtual cases. The results of model estimation indicated that the accuracy of predicting the time interval from the first to the second crime, either within 42 days or later, was 80.0%. In detail, if the model predicted that a rapist would commit the second crime in less than 42 days, the accuracy of the prediction was 75.0%, whereas if the model predicted that a rapist would commit the second crime in over 42 days, the accuracy of the prediction was 87.5%.

Using a Cold Homicide Case to Teach Criminal Profiling

Criminal profiling of cold cases in a classroom setting can be an effective multifaceted teaching tool in the university setting. Critical thinking rooted in problems may evoke students’ natural curiosity and stimulates both learning and critical thoughts. Creating a university-level course that challenges students to question assumptions and explore logic and the scientific method may require creating a collaborative effort. Linking academic learning outcomes to a problem may create surprising erudition. The significance of this article shows presenting students with a challenging and complex problem that may tap into the innate desire for learning. Specific criminal profiling course objectives include identifying the relationship between physical evidence, behavioral evidence, and criminal profiling; inspecting crime scene photographs; recognizing offender behavior; performing wound pattern analysis; and matching behaviors of serial rape or homicide to a crime scene. Students perform a case assessment and write a threshold assessment of the cold homicide case.

Soiling Suburbia

Soiling Suburbia

Pensamientos de un violador en serie

<p style="text-align: justify;">El presente artículo corresponde a un estudio de caso, en el que el autor describe material obtenido de trabajar directamente con V.S.R., con el fin de ilustrar los pensamientos de un violador en serie y, a la vez, esclarecer algunos elementos teóricos del psicópata. El documento describe a V.S.R. como un condenado a pena de prisión de 20 años por tres violaciones consumadas, al cumplir 23 años y estando en un centro de reforma, puede reingresar a prisión o bien quedar en la calle con una medida de libertad vigilada. Se solicita informe del Psicólogo Forense adscrito a la Fiscalía para su evaluación y orientación de la medida. A través de las entrevistas y análisis del expediente llegaremos a conocer los verdaderos pensamientos y patología de un agresor sexual reiterativo.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Palabras clave: </strong>agresor sexual, psicópata, entrevista, forma de pensar</p>

Spatial patterns of Indian serial burglars with relevance to geographical profiling

Earlier studies in Western countries have shown remarkably consistent spatial patterns in serial offenders, mainly for serious crimes notably serial killing and rape, but also (although with less clear patterns) for burglary. The universality of such spatial patterns are of theoretical interest in contributing to our understanding of criminal spatial behaviour and have practical significance for the possibility of using geographic profiling in developing countries. As such, burglars in India provide a particularly interesting test of the generality of the observed spatial consistencies. Information was therefore obtained on the offence location choices of 30 burglars, committing 150 offences in the Rourkela and Keonjhar districts of India. The home to crime distances were compared with those from developed countries, revealing similar but slightly shorter distances. In addition, the domocentricity of criminal spatial activity, reflected in the ‘marauder’ model (Canter & Gregory 1994) was tested through examination of the Canter Circle hypothesis, the mean interpoint distances (as they related to average distances from home), and the home base ‘search costs’ using a geographical profiling system (Dragnet). Overall the study found that the spatial patterns of the sample of Indian Burglars were not very different from their counterparts in the UK, North America and Australia, showing that the areas in which an offender is active tend to be shaped by, and, relatedly, close to, where he or she lives, irrespective of the part of the world in which this is. These results suggest that geographical profiling systems such as Dragnet would be productively used on the Indian sub-continent. The results also contribute to our understanding of possible universalities in offender spatial behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Adrian

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book ReviewsFull AccessAdrianMark H. Backlund, M.D.Mark H. BacklundSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 Dec 2005https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.56.12.1627AboutSectionsView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail As the book jacket proclaims, Adrian, Patrick J. Schnerch's first novel, seeks to be "dark, graphic, and grim." It weaves the horror and mystery of a serial rapist and killer in New York City with an insider's knowledge of mental illness. The main character "evolved from the author's acknowledged experiences" with "severe mental and emotional problems" and "bipolar depression."The story's first mystery lies in uncovering who is responsible for the "murderous rampage": is it the title character, Adrian, who suffers from a combination of what appears to be bipolar affective disorder and a childhood trauma-based dissociative disorder, modified by substantial quantities of alcohol? Is it his long-estranged brother, who has basically the same maladies? We are teased with the interspersed journal of a megalomaniacal psychopath, "Madman," who alternately philosophizes on the ills of society, exhorts parents on how to better raise their children, and seethes with hatred and revenge for the police who are tracking him down. This mystery is resolved by the tenth of 24 chapters.The second—and more impenetrable—mystery lies in trying to comprehend the story's characters. Schnerch manages to make the title character both disturbing and likeable, despite the improbability of his actions and feats. This character starts out unemployed and winds his way from strip joint voyeur to, by discovery of birthright, mob member to chief of a commando-like raid on a warring mob family to owner of all the strip clubs and head of the entire mobster organization. He drinks heavily and dissociates regularly, often to his advantage and apparently with some degree of purpose and intent. He is wracked with guilt and despair yet is capable of ruthless murder, with few apparent ill effects.This book suffers mightily from a lack of editing. There are critical spelling errors, awkward syntax, and misdirected or out-of-place metaphors. And if the repetitions were cleaned up the length of the book would be reduced by a welcome percentage.The dialogue has a curiously formal and stiff quality, and almost all the characters are given to crass comments and abrupt and profane explosions, followed quickly by inexplicable reconciliations. They seem to operate in a primitive, black-and-white mode, and their ethical frameworks shift widely and at times rapidly. Given the author's and the protagonist's repeated concern with morality, the choices that are made are perplexing to the reader. Schnerch explores but oversimplifies the notion of "not guilty by reason of insanity."It seems that, as likeable as Adrian may be, he succumbs in the end to the mob family loyalty, greed, and lust for power he has so criticized and feared. The sources of literary tension shift and strangely dissipate, leaving the novel with something of a picaresque "Adventures of Adrian" quality. The conclusion of part 1 could really be the end of the book, perhaps leaving part 2 for a "Further Adventures" sequel.Nevertheless, Schnerch makes meaningful observations about society, loyalty, parenting, mental illness, and the criminal mind. I liked his advice to alcoholics: "find something to do that alcohol affects the enjoyment of that activity. Then a choice has to be made … you have to find things that you would rather do than drink." He is ultimately optimistic about the effects of treatment for both mental illness and substance abuse.The author's notes state that writing for the author "became therapeutic and increased his well being." To that extent, Adrian can be considered a success. As a novel, it should be considered, like life itself, as a work in progress.Dr. Backlund is a psychiatrist with Compass Health and is also in private practice in Mount Vernon, Washington.by Patrick J. Schnerch; Bloomington, Indiana, Authorhouse, 2003, 404 pages, $22.95 softcover FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 56Issue 12 December 2005Pages 1627-1627 Metrics History Published online 1 December 2005 Published in print 1 December 2005

Catching a Serial Rapist: Hits and Misses in Criminal Profiling

This paper presents a case story of police investigation of a case of serial rape, and the offender profile that was prepared to help identify the offender. The main focus is on the geographic profile, which was elaborated on the basis of theories about awareness area, activity space, and buffer zones for serial offenders. The theories match this specific case quite closely, but the suggestions submitted to the police were not precise enough to identify the rapist. Our offender profile is therefore contrasted with the explanations that the rapist himself gave us after his arrest on how he had sought out his victims. We find that assumptions about the means of transport the offender is using are of vital importance for the geographic profile. Input parameters given to the computer program determine the likely distance decay and the size of the buffer zone. The same data can result in different predictions if these parameters are changed. We recommend that geographic profiles should be supplemented with thorough on‐site observations, and discuss ways to improve police access to public and civil registers when the offender has no previous criminal record.

Offender profiling: a review of the literature

All societies in the modern world are troubled by crime, and the general public is equally fascinated by criminals and fearful of criminal behaviour. In the United Kingdom, events such as the murders of Jack the Ripper, the Yorkshire Ripper and Harold Shipman, and the Soham tragedy, coupled with film and television programmes including Silence of the Lambs, Cracker and Crime Scene Investigation, have fuelled the public's consciousness of the criminal mind.In the fight against crime, the development of offender profiling by the FBI in the USA has further captured people's imagination. The technique was introduced to help law enforcement agencies solve serious crimes such as serial rape or murder, and to a lesser extent arson and property crime. At the heart of profiling lies the belief that by combining psychological principles with crime scene analysis, it is possible to identify the likely characteristics of a perpetrator.Although advances in crime detection are welcomed, the profiling field appears riddled with contradiction and disagreement. Social scientists argue that the discipline is unscientific due to methodologically weak research, while police officers appear sceptical about its benefits for solving crime. In Britain, profiling has witnessed both notable successes, for example Canter's profile of the serial rapist and murderer John Duffy, and dramatic failures, such as the Colin Stagg profile in the Rachel Nickell inquiry. This article reviews the offender profiling literature, examines its applicability in the legal system and identifies areas for future research.

Predicting the residential location of a serial commercial robber

Residential location of a serial offender can potentially be predicted by using models created from home to crime site journeys of solved crimes in the area [N. Levine, Journey-to-crime estimation, retrieved 23 October 2003 from http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/crimestat/CrimeStatChapter.9.pdf, last visited 1 February 2005]. Aims of this study were: (1) to examine the accuracy of this technique, (2) to explore relation of modus operandi (m.o.) to the distance the crime was committed from home and (3) to analyse whether the accuracy of prediction is enhanced by taking the m.o. into account. Data consisted of 76 commercial robbery series from the Greater Helsinki area. Accuracy of prediction was tested by using leave-one-out technique: the series which the predicting function was applied to was never part of the function used to predict. The functions allowed limiting the area to be searched to 4.7% (Mdn, IQR = 31.0%) of the study area generally, and to 1.0% (Mdn, IQR = 2.6%) when the suspect's spatial behaviour conformed to the circle hypotheses presented by Canter and Larkin [D. Canter, P. Larkin, The environmental range of serial rapists, J. Environ. Psychol. 13 (1993) 63–69]. Significant correlations between m.o. and the length of the journey-to-crime were found, but this information did not enhance accuracy of prediction. Low percentage of marauder style perpetrators in the data gives support to the possible separation of hypotheses of underlying spatial behaviour in instrumental crimes versus crimes of interpersonal violence or arson. Suggestions for development of investigative tools are presented.

Sequential angulation, spatial dispersion and consistency of distance attack patterns from home in serial murder, rape and burglary

Three related measures of spatial movement (sequential angulation, spatial dispersion and consistency of distance in attack target) were compared across three serial offence types: serial homicide (n=35), serial rape (n=41) and serial burglary (n=30). In each case, each offender had committed at least five offences. “Spatial dispersion”, defined as the extent to which an offender distributes his offences across either a focused or relatively more evenly distributed area, revealed that burglary was less evenly distributed (i.e. more focused) than rape and murder. “Sequential angulation”, defined as the degree of rotational movement around the home of the offender from one offence to the next, revealed that serial murderers have higher angulation scores than do rapists who, in turn, have higher angulation scores than burglars. Lastly, a comparison of the offender's consistency in the relative distance travelled from home to each attack site (“consistency of distance in attack target”) was relatively similar across the three groups. This was despite the comparison of different serial offence types from disparate geographical areas. The supposition that differences in dispersion and sequential angulation scores across crime types are related to the perceived risk of the crime has been confirmed. The specificity and the mobility of the targets are also discussed.

Behavioural linking of stranger rapes

AbstractA sample of serial stranger rape cases ( n = 43) that had occurred in Finland during the years 1983–2001 were studied with the objectives being to: (a) describe the characteristics of the offenders; (b) explore the structure of serial rape; and (c) demonstrate behavioural linkage through an analysis of the offenders' crime scene behaviour using both multidimensional scaling (MDS) and discriminant function analysis (DFA). The material was content analysed with regard to the occurrence of a number of dichotomous variables. The inter‐relationships of the variables was studied using MDS. The analysis revealed two previously identified major modes of interaction with the victim: involvement and hostility. Employing MDS and DFA, it was shown that the offences of different offenders were distinguishable in terms of variation between the offences of different offenders and consistency within the offences of a single offender. Using DFA, the classification accuracy clearly exceeds that expected by chance, and 25.6% of the cases were classified without any error. The results are discussed in relation to their practical utility and previous studies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

What Would MacGyver Do? The Meaning(s) of Resistance and Survival

Drawing on interviews conducted with victims of New Zealand serial rapist, Malcolm Rewa, this article highlights the limitations of the terms resistance and survival as they are typically applied to women's responses to rape attacks. Although acknowledging that formulations that stress women's abilities to resist and their capacities to survive have been critically important in challenging popular notions of women as passive victims, the women's accounts presented here suggest a need to question whether such formulations are adequate to reflect the complexity and diversity of women's responses to sexual assaults. A preliminary attempt is also made to explore the implications associated with embracing expanded understandings of what resistance and survival might mean.

The Duty to Protect Women from Sexual Violence in South Africa

In 1998 Ghia Van Eeden was sexually assaulted by a serial rapist who had escaped from police custody due to the negligence of the South African police authorities. Claiming that the State owed a common law duty of care to potential victims to protect them from violent crimes, Van Eeden sought damages for the harm she had suffered. In a path-breaking decision, the Supreme Court of Appeal (S.C.A.) found that a duty of care did indeed exist and that its execution had to be considered in line with the constitutional requirement to protect women's right to be free from violence and the constitutional obligation to develop the common law so as to promote the spirit, purport and objects of the South African Bill of Rights. Examining the Van Eeden decision in terms of its substantial development of the circumstances in which the State may be judged liable for a wrongful omission, this note positions the S.C.A.'s decision in the context of the evolving case law of the Constitutional Court on sexual violence and ultimately questions its practical significance for addressing the prevalent abuse of women in South Africa.

A case study of an extremely violent serial rapist with borderline personality disorder in remission

To provide evidence that some borderline patients with poor prognosis can obtain complete remission. Case of a violent rapist with borderline personality disorder in remission is reported. An attempt was made to reveal the mechanism of recovery in this forensic patient who initially was assessed as psychotherapeutically untreatable. Psychotherapeutic effects and favourable psychosocial factors such as successful college graduation, increased social-emotional capacities and valuable new relationships did also play a very important role in this remission process. Controlled studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism of recovery among criminal patients with borderline personality disorder in order to provide adequate treatment programmes and to construct more reliable prediction methods for prognosis and reoffending.

A Serial Rapist Treated With Behavioral and Cognitive Techniques and Followed for 12 Years

This article describes a serial rapist treated in a sexual abuse clinic, then followed for 12 years. Following a discussion of the patient’s offending and personal history, an account is presented of the assessment and treatment techniques employed with such dangerous offenders. Because community safety is an issue in such treatment, a variety of methods were utilized to ensure safety both during and after treatment. While this patient appeared to benefit from treatment and apparently remained offense-free during follow-up, it cannot be assumed that all such cases can be treated with such facility. Indeed, while pedophiles and exhibitionists have been successfully treated using similar techniques, the treatment of rapists remains controversial and results are not as sanguine as this case would indicate. Treatment outcome data for all sexual offenders, and for rapists in particular, are presented throughout the discussion.

Psychological profiling of offender characteristics from crime behaviors in serial rape offences.

Criminal psychological profiling has progressively been incorporated into police procedures despite a dearth of empirical research. Indeed, in the study of serial violent crimes for the purpose of psychological profiling, very few original, quantitative, academically reviewed studies actually exist. This article reports on the analysis of 62 incidents of serial sexual assault. The statistical procedure of multidimensional scaling was employed in the analysis of this data, which in turn produced a five-cluster model of serial rapist behavior. First, a central cluster of behaviors were identified that represent common behaviors to all patterns of serial rape. Second, four distinct outlying patterns were identified as demonstrating distinct offence styles, these being assigned the following descriptive labels brutality, intercourse, chaotic, and ritual. Furthermore, analysis of these patterns also identified distinct offender characteristics that allow for the use of empirically robust offender profiles in future serial rape investigations.

A Further Assessment of "Circle Theory" for Geographic Psychological Profiling

The Circle theory of environmental range (Canter & Larkin, 1993) has demonstrated utility for the analysis of the spatial distribution of serial rape and arson offences, but the theory's applicability to the crime of multiple burglary is more equivocal. The present study analysed the spatial distribution of 58 multiple burglary cases that had occurred in four Australian rural towns. The marauder pattern of offence that had been found to accommodate most cases of serial rape and arson was no more likely than a commuter pattern to characterise multiple burglaries. Further, among those cases that showed a marauder pattern the circle theory provided only a relatively vague indication of the location of the offender's home base. No correlates of offence pattern were identified. The utility of the circle theory for geographic psychological profiling in cases of multiple burglary therefore remains to be demonstrated. The validity of the theory in this context also was queried. Directional vector analyses of the data suggested that multiple burglaries tend to lie in a narrow corridor relative to the offender's home base, whereas an assumption of the circle theory implies that these vectors will radiate in every direction from the home base. Crime investigators therefore should be discriminating in their application of the circle theory to an actual case of serial crime.

Psychological Profiling of Offender Characteristics From Crime Behaviors in Serial Rape Offences

Psychological Profiling of Offender Characteristics From Crime Behaviors in Serial Rape Offences

A Further Assessment of “Circle Theory” for Geographic Psychological Profiling

The Circle theory of environmental range (Canter & Larkin, 1993) has demonstrated utility for the analysis of the spatial distribution of serial rape and arson offences, but the theory's applicability to the crime of multiple burglary is more equivocal. The present study analysed the spatial distribution of 58 multiple burglary cases that had occurred in four Australian rural towns. The marauder pattern of offence that had been found to accommodate most cases of serial rape and arson was no more likely than a commuter pattern to characterise multiple burglaries. Further, among those cases that showed a marauder pattern the circle theory provided only a relatively vague indication of the location of the offender's home base. No correlates of offence pattern were identified. The utility of the circle theory for geographic psychological profiling in cases of multiple burglary therefore remains to be demonstrated. The validity of the theory in this context also was queried. Directional vector analyses of the data suggested that multiple burglaries tend to lie in a narrow corridor relative to the offender's home base, whereas an assumption of the circle theory implies that these vectors will radiate in every direction from the home base. Crime investigators therefore should be discriminating in their application of the circle theory to an actual case of serial crime.