Sexual Homicide Research Articles

Patterns of Overkill in Sexual Homicides

Patterns of Overkill in Sexual Homicides

Foreign object insertion in sexual homicide: A new perspective

Foreign object insertion in sexual homicide: A new perspective

The Unusual Case of Sexual Homicide Against Males: Comparisons and Classification

The Unusual Case of Sexual Homicide Against Males: Comparisons and Classification

Untangling sexual homicide: A proposal for a new classification of sexually motivated killings

PurposeThe study aimed to develop an empirically driven checklist guiding clinicians in the decision-making process that would enable them to determine the functional role of the killing in a newly proposed classification of sexual homicides. MethodsClassical Test Theory, Exploratory Factor Analyses and Two-parameter item response theory were conducted on a sample of 361 male sexual killers assigned as either belonging to the direct or indirect group. ResultsThe results revealed that an eight-item checklist was the best empirical solution. The items included: sexual sadism; followed by the use of sexually related disinhibitors; stalking behaviours; the use of restraints; the presence post-mortem sexual activity; the presence of other sexual activities; an unusual interest following the murder; and the presence of biting were indicative of a direct sexual homicide. ConclusionsUsing the direct/indirect typology automatically directs clinicians to consider how, and at what point in the timeline, the sexual element and the act of killing were related. This, allows to address any arising inconsistencies as well as minimise the risk of either assuming sexual motives in the killing in the indirect cases or not addressing management of sexual urges in the context of extreme violence for the direct cases.

Exploring a machine learning approach: Predicting death in sexual assault

Extensive efforts have focused on preventing or reducing the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual homicide of children and adults. Offender, victim, offence, and environmental factors have been associated with sexual assault injury and death more broadly, however, little to no prior research has investigated the role of these factors in explaining lethality using machine learning techniques. Using a database of 624 cases of sexual assault containing offender, victim and situational variables, a supervised machine learning technique is utilized to identify characteristics and situations that are most predictive of victim death during sexual assault. Results identified proximal predictors of lethality during sexual assault, including fighting between victim and offender within the 48 h prior to the assault and offender weapon possession. Greater victim-offender intimacy reduced the likelihood of assault lethality. One offence characteristic (forcing victim to perform sex act) also predicted reduced lethality. Findings demonstrate the potential use of machine learning techniques to identify the most salient predictors of lethality during sexual assault and to produce knowledge that will contribute to the development of lethality assessment for sexual assault.

Reactive and proactive aggression in sexual homicide offenders

PurposeThe reactive-proactive aggression dichotomy is a valid, reliable, and useful concept widely used in psychology and criminology but paradoxically largely ignored in the field of sexual offending research. The objective of this study was to test whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as well as psychopathology relevant to physical and sexual violence (psychopathy and sexual sadism) predict the type of aggression (reactive/proactive) exhibited in the commission of a sexual homicide. MethodsData were collated from criminal case files held across 46 courthouses in France. Reactive sexual homicide offenders (SHO-R, n = 31) and proactive sexual homicide offenders (SHO-P, n = 58) were compared in terms of ACEs and psychometric measures of psychopathy (PCL: SV) and sexual sadism (SeSaS). ResultsThe findings indicated that ACEs and PCL: SV Factor 2 were associated with reactive aggression in the context of sexual homicide, whereas PCL: SV Factor 1 and sexual sadism were associated to proactive aggression. ConclusionsThis study emphasized the role of ACEs and personality traits in the development of different types of aggression exhibited in sexual homicide and highlighted advantages of applying mainstream psychological and criminological concepts to extreme violence phenomena.

Multiple perpetrator sexual homicide in Australia and New Zealand: An exploratory study of groups, victims, offenders and offences

PurposeThere is a dearth of research on multiple perpetrator sexual homicide. This is an exploratory and descriptive study of the phenomenon in Australia and New Zealand over the last five decades. MethodCases where sexual homicides were committed by two or more offenders were identified from a legal database. Legal reports and media sources were used to generate case vignettes describing groups, victims, offenders and offences. Summary descriptive data is presented, and the roles of leadership, group composition and sexual sadism are examined. ResultsThere were 23 groups of 62 offenders, who killed 50 victims. Fifteen groups were pairs and eight were three or more. There were some similarities to single perpetrator cases in the literature, but female perpetrators, male victims, multiple victims, ability to form relationships and sadistic behaviour were over-represented. Most groups had a dominant leader. ConclusionLeadership and group effects are key factors in most multiple perpetrator sexual homicides. Current models and typologies of sexual homicide need to be adapted to apply to this phenomenon. Sadistic behaviour in such cases is partly due to sexually sadistic leaders but partly due to the amplifying effect of group dynamics.

The lesser of two evils? Sexual homicide as an “hybrid” offense

The lesser of two evils? Sexual homicide as an “hybrid” offense

범죄자 프로파일링을 위한 성적살인 연구 : - 피해자-가해자 관계를 중심으로 -

범죄자 프로파일링을 위한 성적살인 연구 : - 피해자-가해자 관계를 중심으로 -

Factors influencing the use of forensic awareness strategies in sexual homicide

• Most sexual murderers used at least one forensic awareness strategies, while the majority of them used more strategies. • Differences in the use of forensic awareness strategies by sex offenders could be explained by the level of seriousness of the crime • Crime characteristics and expertise are the most important factors to explain the use of forensic awareness strategies by sexual murderers. • Situational characteristics do not have any impact to explain the use of forensic awareness strategies by sexual murderers.

Sexual murderers' choice of weapons: Examining sexual homicides committed by males in China

PurposeThis study seeks to expand our limited understanding of sexual homicides committed in China, especially with respect to the murder weapons used. It explores the differences between opposite-sex (male-on-female) and same-sex (male-on-male) male sexual homicides. In addition, it examines how the weapon choice of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) in opposite-sex murder relates to their modus operandi. MethodsData derived from police records and published case reports in three regions in China were used to analyze the characteristics of the offender, victim, and the offense in 84 sexual homicides (75 opposite-sex and 9 same-sex cases; 1988–2018) committed by males. ResultsThe findings indicated that where the victim was female, male SHOs were primarily motivated by sex and used relatively physically demanding weapons (e.g., personal weapons). Where the victim was male, SHOs were primarily motivated by financial gain and chose less physically demanding weapons (e.g., edged weapons). In opposite-sex cases, male SHOs who used con tactics to approach their victims were likely to have used personal weapons to kill them, and those who mutilated their victims were likely to have used contact murder weapons. Male SHOs who had premeditated their offenses and abducted their victims were likely to use less physically demanding weapons, and edged weapons in particular.Conclusions: These findings may provide some insights for police seeking to prioritize their investigative strategies.

"Drop the Body": Body Disposal Patterns in Sexual Homicide.

The current study investigates body disposal patterns in sexual homicide and examines whether offender's behavior differ between solved and unsolved cases. To address these two research questions in line with rational choice perspective, a series of logistic regression analyses was conducted on a sample of 250 solved, and 100 unsolved sexual homicide cases in Canada. Within solved cases, results show that if victim is a prostitute, body found concealed, and found lying face down, it is likely the body was moved. For unsolved cases, the role of victim as a prostitute, and body recovered outdoors suggest that the body was moved. Further, results indicate that post-crime phase factors predicted the most whether the victim's body was moved in solved cases. Whereas within unsolved cases, crime-phase factors contributed the most at predicting whether the body was moved post-homicide. Theoretical and practical implications from this study are discussed.

Sexual Sadism: Its Role in the Crime-Commission Process of Sexual Homicide of Children.

This study investigates the role of sexual sadism in the crime-commission process of sexual homicide (SH) involving child victims. A comparison between sadistic and nonsadistic cases involving child victims is conducted by examining the crime context, crime characteristics, methods of killing, body recovery characteristics, and forensic awareness strategies used by offenders. The sample comes from the Sexual Homicide International Database (SHIelD) including 135 cases of solved SHs involving child victims-35 cases with sexual sadism and 101 cases without sexual sadism. The Sexual Homicide Crime Scene Rating Scale for Sexual Sadism (SADSEX-SH) scale is used to identify sexual sadism from crime scene actions. Bivariate and multivariate analysis are performed to examine the differences between the two groups. Findings indicate that sadistic SH of children are characterized by an important level of structured premeditation, the commission of more diversified sexual acts, the use of specific method of killing, and the partial use of forensic awareness strategies. Practical implications in terms of criminal investigations are discussed.

Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan, A global casebook of sexual homicide

Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan, <i>A global casebook of sexual homicide</i>

Dangerosité psychiatrique et responsabilité pénale atténuée : à propos de la condamnation à la réclusion à perpétuité d’un schizophrène auteur d’un homicide sexuel sadique

The second paragraph of article 122-1 of the French Criminal Code provides for a reduced penalty in criminal matters (Court of Assizes) when the offender is suffering at the time the act is committed from a mental disorder that reduces his liability. This legal provision is not always respected, as shown by the sentencing to life imprisonment of a chronic psychotic patient who committed a sexual homicide (sadistic rape). The Court of Assizes found that the great dangerousness of this schizophrenic, with a multiple criminal record and who had refused his treatment, justified his conviction, while the psychiatric expertise concluded that he should benefit from a reduction on his criminal liability. The sentence was passed without the level of severity of his mental state having been verified by a new expert. The author therefore questions the “ethical” nature of this court decision which, albeit legal, is contrary to the spirit of the law. There was no appeal against the sentence.

Review of Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan, A Global Casebook of Sexual Homicide

Review of Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan, A Global Casebook of Sexual Homicide

Forensic dental evidence in a case of sexual assault and homicide of a minor girl in India: A case report

Forensic dental evidence in a case of sexual assault and homicide of a minor girl in India: A case report

The consistency of sexual homicide characteristics and typologies across countries: a comparison of Canadian and Scottish sexual homicides

ABSTRACT Although similar subtypes of sexual homicide have been described cross-nationally, no study has directly examined whether two samples from different jurisdictions are comparable. This study therefore aimed to examine whether any substantively meaningful subtypes of sexual homicide cases could be identified in each sample, and if so, whether these subtypes were similar across jurisdictions. Two samples of male sexual homicide offenders were compared: a Scottish sample (n = 89) and a Canadian sample (n = 150). Subtypes were identified in each sample using LCA, identifying a 3-class solution in each sample. Despite differences between samples on the bivariate level, two very similar subtypes (Controlled-Organized and Diverse) emerged in both samples. Despite differences at the bivariate level, the similarities at the multivariate level indicate similarities in underlying offence pathways which underpin heterogeneity in sexual homicide offenders. The similarities between the subtypes identified suggests potential universality of types of sexual homicides cross-nationally.

Sexual Homicide in France and Canada: An International Comparison

Sexual Homicide in France and Canada: An International Comparison

A Review of the Prevalence of Psychosis in Sexual Homicide.

Despite a growing body of research on the association between psychosis and homicide and between psychosis and sexual offending, research on psychosis and sexual homicide is limited. The objective of this review was to estimate the prevalence of psychosis in sexual homicide and to explore the extent to which prior research has investigated symptoms of psychosis as a motivating or causal variable leading to incidents of sexual homicide. We hypothesized that psychosis is present in a minority of sexual homicide cases. Articles were identified by searching literature databases (i.e., PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE) and references of relevant articles. Eight studies were included. The overall prevalence of psychosis among individuals who committed sexual homicide ranged from 0 to 27 percent as measured in a broad array of diverse samples. Given that five of the eight studies reported psychosis rates to be five percent or less, our findings suggest that psychosis occurs in a minority of sexual homicide cases. None of the studies directly examined the causal or motivational properties of psychosis in driving these types of offenses, and this represents an important area of inquiry for future research.