The amount of empirical research on men who commit sexual murders is scarce, and no distinction has been made between those who have victimized adults and those who have victimized children. Therefore, to better understand specifically sexual murderers of children (n = 11), comparisons were performed with a group of sexual murderers of adult women (n = 66) on developmental, precrime, crime, and postcrime factors. It appears that sexual murderers of children are more often victims of sexual abuse during childhood and present more often deviant sexual fantasies as compared to sexual murderers of women. The results show also that sexual murderers of children more often use pornography prior to crime, have contact with the victim prior to crime, and commit a crime more often characterized by premeditation, strangulation, the hiding of the body, and its dismemberment than the sexual murderers of women.

Sexual homicide is a rare occurrence. Little is known about the offending perspective of sexual homicide from a criminological standpoint. Recently, Chan, Heide, and Beauregard (2011) proposed an integrative theoretical framework using concepts and propositions of Social Learning Theory (differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement or punishment, and imitation) and Routine Activities Theory (a motivated offender, an attractive and suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian or guardianship) to elucidate the sexual homicide offending dynamics. According to this integrative model, the individual-level view of the sexual murderers is explained by the social learning principles, while the offending process is complemented by the routine activities propositions from a micro-level to provide a better explained sexual homicide offending model. However, this model has yet to be tested empirically. In addition to testing the Chan et al.'s model, this study proposes and tests an alternative model by incorporating the construct of pre-crime precipitators to better explain the motivating factor of an offender to commit a sexual homicide. To empirically test both models, this study utilizes the dataset collected by a group of Canadian researchers on 230 incarcerated non-serial homicidal (N = 55) and non-homicidal (N = 175) sex offenders in the province of Quebec, Canada for the period between 1995 and 2005. Using step-wise logistic regression, four regression models are tested to examine the offending process of sexual homicide by investigating the effects of the offender's motivation, the target suitability and attractiveness, the absence of a capable guardian or guardianship, and the pre-crime precipitating factors in deciding the lethal outcome of a sexual offense. The theoretical model proposed by Chan and colleagues received some support. Consistent with Chan et al.'s theoretical propositions, findings suggest that the sex offender's sexually deviant behaviors and attitudes serve as a motivating factor, and the presence/absence of a capable guardian or guardianship at the immediate crime surroundings are significant factors in deciding the survival rate of the victim. Methodological limitations of the study, practical implications for offender profiling and crime preventive measures, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Femicide, homicide involving female victims, accounts for approximately one third of all homicides in Australia. Despite its prevalence, femicide has received considerably less theoretical attention than the more common male-on-male homicide. The current study uses qualitative data from the Coroner’s brief of evidence to examine the social context of homicides which occurred between 1994 and 1998 in Victoria, Australia. All homicides for which data were available that included a female victim were included in the study, resulting in a total of 67 victims. Six social contexts of femicide were identified through the cases. Intimate femicide (22 cases, 33% of the sample) involved female victims who were killed by their intimate partner in a relationship characterised by jealousy, possessiveness and violence. These intimate femicides were usually not spontaneous acts of rage, but planned and purposive attacks, and often occurred around separation. Intimate homicide-suicides (9 cases, 13%) shared many of the characteristics of intimate femicide, but in addition to being possessive and violent, the offender was notably depressed, often due to financial problems.

A partir de la fin du XIXe siècle, et notamment à travers les travaux de Richard Von Krafft-Ebing, de nouvelles représentations des perversions sexuelles humaines se mettent en place. La prise en compte de ces dynamiques dans l’homicide modifie les modes de classification des scènes de crime. Au XXe siècle, ces changements historiques conduisent à l’étude d’un phénomène rare et singulier : le meurtre sexuel sériel. Durant les années 1980, le F.B.I acquiert le monopole des savoirs et pratiques concernant la problématique des « serial killers ». De nos jours, ce monopole est remis en cause. Les profileurs du Bureau d’Investigation seraient les représentants d’une pratique pseudo-scientifique. Le serial killer serait avant tout une construction sociale initiée par la politique conservatrice des années Reagan. Selon certains psychiatres-psychanalystes, le F.B.I, en affirmant la place centrale des fantasmes sexuels dans la dynamique des crimes, aurait donné une image trompeuse du meurtre en série. A l’opposé, la présente étude entend démontrer que le principal enjeu n’est peut-être pas de déconstruire les discours du F.B.I, mais plutôt de confronter ces derniers à l’actualité des recherches scientifiques. Le profilage désignerait plutôt une méthode d’enquête dont les éléments de base sont susceptibles d’être corrigés et complétés. Sous cet angle, les modèles théoriques concurrents, notamment ceux défendus par la psychanalyse française, semblent également souffrir d’un certain nombre de difficultés. Certes, l’intensité des fantasmes sadiques ne peut pas être la seule dimension des actes criminels. Mais les fantasmes interagissent probablement avec les désirs et croyances des meurtriers. Si l’homicide sexuel sériel s’apparente, comme la plupart des commentateurs s’accordent à le dire, à une succession d’actes ritualisés, une approche anthropologique du phénomène pourrait avoir une certaine légitimité. Sous cet angle, des concepts tels que la psychopathie, la pulsion de mort ou l’omnipotence narcissique dissimulent peut-être l’existence d’un mécanisme victimaire à travers lequel les meurtriers engendrent leur propre religion ou mythologie. / From the late Nineteenth Century, in particular through Richard von Krafft-Ebing’s studies, new concepts have shaped the representations of sexual perversion. The study of the sexual dynamics in homicide cases changes the common methods of crime scene classification. In the Twentieth Century, these historical approaches lead to the study of a rare and particular phenomenon: serial sexual homicide. During the 1980s, the F.B.I dominates the field of practices and knowledge concerning the serial murder issue. Today, that domination is challenged. The F.B.I’s profiling methods are qualified as pseudo-scientific practice. Serial murder is nowadays more perceived as a simple social construction initiated by the Conservative politics of the Reagan years. According to some psychiatrists, the motivational model of the F.B.I has given a misleading picture of serial murder. The aim of the present work is to show that the main issue may not be to deconstruct the F.B.I’s studies, but to compare these first studies with current scientific research. Criminal profiling might be a method whose basic elements are likely to be corrected and completed. In this perspective, competing theoretical models, especially those held by psychoanalysis, also raise a number of difficulties. Of course, the intensity of sadistic fantasies can’t be the only dimension of criminal behavior. But fantasies probably interact with the desires and beliefs of the murderers. If serial sexual homicide appears to be, as most commentators agree, as a series of ritualistic acts, an anthropological approach may be legitimate. From this point of view, concepts such as “psychopathy”, “death drive” or “narcissism” do probably conceal the existence of a scapegoat mechanism by which killers are creating their own religion or mythology.

The phenomenon of serial murder is a crime characterised by a paucity of scientific information and an excess of popularised fictional material, contributing to the existence of inaccurate perceptions of serial murder. Although serial murder has been committed since the fourteenth century it only gained notoriety with the intense media coverage of the Jack the Ripper case in 1888. One of the most important reasons for society’s morbid fascination with this phenomenon is because of the view of it as a “motiveless crime”. Available literature shows that research undertaken to determine the origin and the motivation behind serial homicide generally focuses on singular aspects of serial murder. In most cases the research is directed by theories of the psychoanalytic school, most notably that of Sigmund Freud. Another research approach is to develop models and methods for classifying serial killers. Despite the value of these models and the research that has been done the information they can provide is limited. In most cases the research and the models focus on singular aspects associated with the development of serial murderers, for example, the internal conflicts experienced by the child. The goal of this study is to determine which internal and external factors influence the personality development of the serial murderer. The research therefore focuses on how these factors were internalised and expressed behaviourally by the individual. To achieve this the psychosocial perspective, which consisted of three psychological theories, was used to determine the role of both internal and external influences in the personality development of the individual. The method of research deemed most suitable to undertake the study is the qualitative approach, and more specifically the explanatory case study method. The data for the research was obtained by using a semi-structured interview and relevant documentation concerning each of the two case studies. Seven research questions were formulated to find answers to the personality development of the serial murderer and his behaviour. The questions were also formulated to ensure the validity of the data and to substantiate the findings based on the psychosocial perspective. The psychosocial perspective was used to analyse the two case studies and to compile a detailed explanation for the personality development and the personality structure of each of the serial murderers. The three psychological theories were combined in such a way that it could show the influence of internal and external factors on the personality development. This included the influence of the family atmosphere as well as behaviour and personality types that developed. In conclusion the extent to which answers were obtained regarding the seven research questions and the extent to which the aim of the research has been achieved is highlighted. Finally recommendations are made concerning future research and possible areas on which researchers should focus. / Dissertation (MA (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

Au cours des trois dernières décennies, plusieurs modèles théoriques de l’homicide sexuel ont été proposés. Ces modèles ont suggéré qu’il existe une diversité de facteurs associés à la commission d’un ou de plusieurs homicides sexuels, notamment des facteurs développementaux, psychologiques et de l’événement criminel et ont permis de proposer un profil des individus ayant commis un homicide sexuel. Cependant, aucun de ces profils n’a intégré l’ensemble de ces facteurs en un tout cohérent. De plus, ces modèles et profils, à l’exception du modèle proposé par des chercheurs associés au Federal Bureau of Investigation, ont été réalisés à partir d’échantillons d’individus ayant commis un seul homicide sexuel. En conséquence, bien que ces modèles et profils proposent une explication de l’émergence de ces comportements, ils ne permettent pas d’expliquer dans quelles circonstances ceux-ci se répètent et prennent fin. Étant donné que ces modèles et profils n’ont pas pris en considération les caractéristiques du parcours de vie de l’individu après la commission du premier homicide sexuel, ceux-ci n’intègrent pas de paramètres post-homicides, tels que les paramètres de l’enquête criminelle. En conséquence, il existe actuellement peu de certitudes concernant les caractéristiques du profil des individus pouvant constituer des facteurs permettant potentiellement d’expliquer pourquoi certains individus commettront une série d’homicides sexuels tandis que d’autres n’en commettront qu’un. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’identifier les caractéristiques distinctives des individus ayant commis une série d’homicides sexuels, afin de proposer des profils d’individus sériels et non-sériels. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, une série d’études comparatives entre des individus ayant commis des homicides sexuels en série (HSS; n = 33) et des individus ayant commis un seul homicide sexuel (HS; n = 87) ont été réalisées. Les résultats de cette étude mettent en évidence que les caractéristiques qui distinguent les sériels des non-sériels ne se limitent pas à des facteurs individuels ou à la façon dont les individus commettent leur crime, mais aussi à l’échec des intervenants de l’enquête criminelle à appliquer les pratiques considérées comme étant indispensables à la résolution rapide d’un homicide. D’autre part, les résultats de cette étude mettent en évidence qu’il existe deux principaux profils d’individus ayant commis un homicide sexuel, celui des HSS et celle des HS. Finalement, les résultats de cette étude ont servi de fondations au développement d’un modèle conceptuel théorique de l’homicide sexuel sériel et non-sériel qui permet d’expliquer dans quelles circonstances le phénomène semblerait émerger, se répéter et prendre fin. / Over the last three decades, many theoretical models of sexual homicide have been proposed, which have made it possible to propose a profile of individuals. Although these models and profiles have suggested associations between the commission of one or more sexual homicides and a wide variety of factors—notably developmental, psychological, and crime-phase—none has produced a unified vision of sexual homicide that takes into account all factors. Moreover, these models and profiles, with the exception of that of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, have been based on samples of individuals having committed a single homicide. As a result, although they propose explanations of the emergence of sexual homicide, current models and profiles are silent on the determinants of its repetition and cessation. Additionally, these models and profiles do not address post-homicide parameters, such as those related to the criminal investigation, since they do not take into account the sexual murderer’s life course following the commission of the homicide. For all these reasons, considerable uncertainty remains about why some individuals commit a series of sexual homicides while others commit only one. The principal objective of this thesis’s research was therefore to identify the distinctive characteristics of individuals having committed a series of sexual homicides, in order to proposed profiled of serial and nonserial sexual murderers. To this end, comparative analyses of serial sexual murderers (HSSs; n = 33) and nonserial sexual murderers (HSs n = 87) were conducted. The results indicate that the two groups of participants in this sample can be distinguished not only on individual factors and the manner in which the homicide was committed, but also on the failure of criminal investigators to apply best practices and rapidly resolve the homicides. Finally, this thesis’ research establishes a foundation for the development of theoretical models of serial and nonserial sexual homicide that explain the circumstances responsible for the emergence, repetition, and cessation of this phenomenon.