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La criminalité sexuelle constitue aujourd’hui l’un des enjeux politiques et sociaux de nos sociétés contemporaines. Les débats auxquels elle donne lieu sont généralement l’occasion de souligner le rôle central des criminels sexuels récidivistes et de certains types de personnalités particulièrement dangereuses, parfois désignés sous le terme de « prédateurs sexuels », les plus dangereux étant les tueurs en série en raison de leur violence sexuelle meurtrière et les pédophiles en raison d’une inclination qui non seulement repousserait les limites de la morale en les amenant à s’en prendre à des enfants mais qui, de plus, pourrait participer, selon les théoriciens de l’abuseur-abusé, à reproduire un contingent d’agresseurs sexuels toujours plus important. Dans un tel contexte cette recherche doctorale a tout d’abord eu pour objectifs de contribuer à une meilleure connaissance des catégories de tueur en série et de pédophile ; d’analyser ensuite comment un ensemble de pratiques et d'idées à-travers un processus de catégorisation sont amenées à être pensées comme relevant d'un problème plus large, en l’occurrence la criminalité sexuelle ; et, enfin, inspiré par l’approche de Ian Hacking des maladies mentales transitoires de mettre en évidence les effets de la catégorisation sur les individus ainsi catégorisés et l’action en retour de ces derniers sur les catégories. / Sex-related crime is currently one of the most concerning political and social issues of our day. The resulting debates usually highlight the central role of repeat sex offenders and a number of particularly dangerous types of personality, often referred to as “sexual predators”, the most dangerous of which are serial killers, who are responsible for sexual violence and death, and paedophiles. The latter display an inclination that far exceeds moral boundaries by targeting children as victims, and could also, according to the theorists of the abuser-abused relationship, reproduce a more significant contingent of sexual aggressors. Within this context, this doctoral research aims first to contribute towards a better understanding of serial killer and paedophile categories and, subsequently analyse how, through a long categorisation process, specific practices and ideas are considered relevant to the broader issues regarding sexual criminality. Finally, this research, inspired by Ian Hacking’s approach to transitory mental illness, seeks to underline the effects that categorisation has on the persons concerned, including the latter’s influence on the former.

Dexter Morgan is a serial killer, but he may not be blameworthy for his actions There are two possible explanations that could absolve Dexter of moral responsibility: (1) His inability to empathize with others makes it so that he cannot make appropriate moral decisions. Or (2) his serial killing tendencies are determined in nature, set off by events of which he had no control. I conclude that Dexter is, in fact, morally responsible for his actions because he is capable of second order desires

The phenomenon of serial killers is increasing world wide. During the past decade the most memorable cases of serial homicide in South Africa have been those of the "Norwood serial killer", the "Station Strangler", the "Cleveland serial killer", "The Gaunteng serial killer" and the "St Charles serial killer". The enigma surrounding serial killers is the so-called "lack of motive'' for the murders. No extrinsic motive such as robbery, financial gain, revenge or passion exists as there usually would be in the case of other murders. The available literature indicates that several theories have been proposed to explain the origin of serial homicide, but none can explain sufficiently to the author why one person with a certain type of background and exposed to a certain environment becomes a serial killer, whilst another, with a similar background and circumstances does not. The theories that are discussed are the socio-cultural factors, Ressler's motivational model, systemic factors, demonic possession, neurological factors, psychogenic factors and fantasy. In this thesis the author attempts to answer the question "What is the origin of serial homicide" by applying selected aspects of the psychoanalytic theories of Freud and Melanie Klein on two case studies of South African serial killers. The author formulates twenty nine statements of her own, based on the theories of Freud and Klein which she applies to the two case studies. The cases of the "Station Strangler" in Mitchell's Plain, Cape province, and the "St Charles serial killer" in Donnybrook, KwaZulu Natal are selected. Both of these serial killers are organized in their modus operandi, but the "Station Strangler" is a ego-dystonic killer and the "St Charles serial killer" a ego-syntonic serial killer. The method of research is a qualitative case study method. The author divides the selected aspects of Freud and Klein's theories into categories and analyses the two cases presented according to these categories. In the final chapter she draws maps to illustrate the psychoanalytical developmental paths of serial killers in general and for each of the two cases. Multiple data sources are used for example interviews with the serial killers and their families, police dockets, court proceedings and psychiatric records. Multiple data sources, explanation building and replication by way of multiple case studies are employed to ensure construct validity, internal validity and external validity respectively. Reliability is supported by entering the data in a South African Police Service data base. In conclusion the author compares the differences and similarities between the two case studies, and discusses the statements which are supported by this research. She also recommends that those statements which are not supported, be discussed in consecutive case studies. The statements are generalized to all serial killers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1996. / gm2013 / Psychology / unrestricted

This research is a qualitative art-based study exploring trauma markers found in the artwork of serial killers through the participation of licensed art therapists trained in the identification and treatment of trauma. The literature review covers a broad range of variables that influence the development of mass murderers, and how art therapy may be useful in working with serial killer populations. The study offers a unique, non-verbal exploration of the trauma experienced by serial killers through the art therapy lens. The three participants provided invaluable data through their responses to a questionnaire and creation of response art that demonstrates evidence of complex trauma, military trauma and traumatic brain injury; all of which were supported by previous research found in the literature. Themes identified through the analysis of the data included: communication, representation, chaos and violence, life and death, and illusion of power. This study demonstrates the importance of understanding serial killers’ psychological makeup, the traumas and other experiences that have profound impacts on them, and the contexts in which they develop. This may lead to a better understanding in how to look for the warning signs in their development and artwork; allowing for the potential to prevent such violent behavior with early intervention.

Ce mémoire a comme objectif premier, l’étude du film d’enquête sur les tueurs en série. Plus spécifiquement, le mémoire examine le cas du film Zodiac réalisé par David Fincher en 2007. En procédant par analyses comparatives portant sur la structure narrative, les thématiques et les mécanismes de réception du film d’enquête, nous avons tenté de mettre en lumière des hypothèses quant à l’insuccès commercial de Zodiac. La première section de l’étude examine la spécificité et les fonctions propres au film d’enquête sur les tueurs en série et parvient ainsi à tirer la conclusion qu’il prévaut de catégoriser ce corpus d’œuvres comme un sous-genre du film policier. Nous avons étudié la fonction sociale et médiatique des archétypes filmiques du tueur et de l’enquêteur afin d’atteindre une meilleure compréhension de la fascination du public américain pour ce sous-genre. La seconde section du mémoire examine comment Zodiac se détache des conventions génériques et, particulièrement, comment la mise en scène opère une démystification de la figure du tueur en série. De plus, nous avons soulevé le traitement particulier déployé par Zodiac, soit la monstration, par le biais des personnages, du travail spectatoriel de mise en récit de l’enquête. La troisième section vise à démontrer la rupture de l’horizon d’attente du spectateur chez Zodiac ainsi que la chute de l’imaginaire mythique qui est ainsi engendré. / This memoir’s main concern is the study of the serial killer movie and, more specifically the case of Zodiac directed by David Fincher in 2007. By proceding with comparative analysis concerning the structure, the themes and the public’s reception, we are able to highlight key elements that may explain Zodiac’s commercial failure. In the first section, we study the elements that are specific to the serial killer movie. Hence, we are able to conclude that this film corpus would be best categorised as a sub-genre of the crime film genre. Furthermore, we study the social and media purposes of the serial killer and detective archetypes to acheive a better understansding of the american public’s fascination towards this sub-genre. The second section investigates how Zodiac breaks away from the generic conventions and how the film narrative demystifies the serial killer figure. We have also brought up the film peculiar form, which, via the characters, illustrates the spectatorial process of mise en récit . The third section studies the way Zodiac establishes a rupture in the spectator’s expectations of the sub-genre and provokes the fall of its collective imagery.

Ce mémoire a comme objectif premier, l’étude du film d’enquête sur les tueurs en série. Plus spécifiquement, le mémoire examine le cas du film Zodiac réalisé par David Fincher en 2007. En procédant par analyses comparatives portant sur la structure narrative, les thématiques et les mécanismes de réception du film d’enquête, nous avons tenté de mettre en lumière des hypothèses quant à l’insuccès commercial de Zodiac. La première section de l’étude examine la spécificité et les fonctions propres au film d’enquête sur les tueurs en série et parvient ainsi à tirer la conclusion qu’il prévaut de catégoriser ce corpus d’œuvres comme un sous-genre du film policier. Nous avons étudié la fonction sociale et médiatique des archétypes filmiques du tueur et de l’enquêteur afin d’atteindre une meilleure compréhension de la fascination du public américain pour ce sous-genre. La seconde section du mémoire examine comment Zodiac se détache des conventions génériques et, particulièrement, comment la mise en scène opère une démystification de la figure du tueur en série. De plus, nous avons soulevé le traitement particulier déployé par Zodiac, soit la monstration, par le biais des personnages, du travail spectatoriel de mise en récit de l’enquête. La troisième section vise à démontrer la rupture de l’horizon d’attente du spectateur chez Zodiac ainsi que la chute de l’imaginaire mythique qui est ainsi engendré. / This memoir’s main concern is the study of the serial killer movie and, more specifically the case of Zodiac directed by David Fincher in 2007. By proceding with comparative analysis concerning the structure, the themes and the public’s reception, we are able to highlight key elements that may explain Zodiac’s commercial failure. In the first section, we study the elements that are specific to the serial killer movie. Hence, we are able to conclude that this film corpus would be best categorised as a sub-genre of the crime film genre. Furthermore, we study the social and media purposes of the serial killer and detective archetypes to acheive a better understansding of the american public’s fascination towards this sub-genre. The second section investigates how Zodiac breaks away from the generic conventions and how the film narrative demystifies the serial killer figure. We have also brought up the film peculiar form, which, via the characters, illustrates the spectatorial process of mise en récit . The third section studies the way Zodiac establishes a rupture in the spectator’s expectations of the sub-genre and provokes the fall of its collective imagery.

Sans corps, pas d'histoires. Vecteur d'action, instrument de la narration, et support d'un lien d'identification fort entre le spectateur et le personnage, le corps est la principale figure des médiums cinématographique et télévisuel. Si le cinéma a toujours, depuis ses balbutiements, glorifié la vivacité inépuisable des corps, parallèlement déjà, planait la face inversée de cette exposition, la menace muette de la mort. Mais si le dernier souffle avant la mort est bien souvent encore, au cinéma et à la télévision, synonyme d'ultime communion avec la vie et de résistance à la mort, qu'en est-il du corps et du personnage quand la mort s'en est saisi à jamais et qu'il ne reste plus aux vivants, personnages et spectateurs, qu'à se confronter au cadavre ? Figure parasitaire, le cadavre n'est ni un personnage ni même un figurant. A la fois signe vide et noyau narratif, c'est à partir de lui et de son examen pendant l'autopsie ou sur les lieux du crime que va se nourrir et se développer l'intrigue policière. Et s'il peut paraître secondaire, voire accessoire, à regarder les fictions policières sous l'angle de son non-regard fixe et opaque, il donne à voir quelque chose du crime, de son caractère profondément injuste, et des rapports qu'entretiennent les vivants avec une mort qui se présente sur la table d'autopsie, sous ses traits les plus abjects. L'enjeu de cette thèse sera d'envisager la façon dont les fictions policières mettent en scène le cadavre comme le reflet, d'une troublante précision, d'un défaut contemporain de distanciation face à la mort. Il s'agira bien pour nous, et selon un principe analogue à celui qu'applique le philosophe Maxime Coulombe dans son essai sur les zombies, de considérer le cadavre fictionnel comme « analyseur de la société contemporaine » et comme « symptôme de ce qui taraude la conscience de notre époque » / Without bodies, no stories. A vehicle of action, a narrative agent, and the support of a strong identification link between the audience and the character, the body is the main figure of cinematographic and television mediums.If cinema has always, from its early stages, glorified the endless liveliness of bodies, the reverse side of this exposure has simultaneously been lingering: the mute threat of death. However, in films or in television series, if the last breath before death is often synonymous with a ultimate communion with life and with a resistance to death, what happens to the body and the character when death has seized them for ever, and the living – characters and audience – are only left facing the corpse? As a parasite figure, the corpse is neither a character nor even an extra. Both an empty sign and a narrative core, the crime plot will indeed develop from the corpse and its examination, during the autopsy or on the crime scene. And whereas the corpse may seem secondary, even minor, if we look at crime fictions from the angle of its fixed and opaque non-look, it still allows us to see something of the crime and of its deeply unfair nature, and of the relations between the living and a death that appears in its most abject features on the autopsy table. In this study, we will examine how crime fictions stage corpses as disturbingly precise reflects of a contemporary lack of perspective in front of death. Similarly to the philosopher Maxime Coulombe in his essay on zombies, we will consider the fictional corpse as an "analyser of contemporary society" and as a "symptom of what is tormenting the consciousness of our time"

The mystery surrounding serial homicide is the apparent lack of motive for the murder. No extrinsic motive such as robbery, financial gain, passion or revenge exists, as there usually is in the case of other murders. Serial homicide is a serious, worldwide problem that has received a large amount of media attention, but only a relatively small amount of scientifically based research exists on this phenomenon. Since the 1970s various models such as the psychosocial theory model, learning theory, the motivational, fantasy, neurological theory, psychiatric, post-modern, feminist and the paranormal/demonological models were used to explain the phenomenon of serial homicide. The researcher, however, states that these models do not satisfactorily address the intrapsychic/object relation development of the serial killers personality. The structure of the research project consists of analysis of the background information of two serial killers which was gathered from one semi-structured personal interview, psychometric testing (Thematic Apperception Test, Test of Object Relations and the Picture Test of Separation and Individuation) as well as from relevant literary sources. The information was interpreted using the selected psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freund and the object relation theory of Melanie Klein and the data was then analysed, interpreted and tested against the following research questions: “What is the intrapsychic origin of serial homicide?”; “What is the parent-child relationship like?”; “How does the parent-child relationship influence the object relations of the serial killer?”; “How does the parental relationship influence the serial killer’s interpersonal relationships?”. These questions determine the specific internalised factors that may have contributed to the eventual development of a serial killer’s personality. The research method that is employed is a qualitative, exploratory case study method. A qualitative study was selected due to the fact that there are currently not enough incarcerated serial killers in South Africa and from those incarcerated serial killers only two were willing to participate in the research. The case study method was selected because it deals with contemporary events, multiple data sources may be used and the findings can be generalised to other case studies. Data gathering was done by psychometric testing (TAT, PTSI and TOR), a semi-structured interview and other biographical information on the subjects. The data was analysed by the descriptive-dialogic case study method. The data integration method that was selected is the data integration method of the descriptive-dialogic case study method. The data was discussed in relation to the already developed theories. This implies that parallels were drawn between the processed information and the theories. Similarities and differences between the two case studies were discussed and a general overview of the intrapsychic structure of the serial killer was stated. / Dissertation (MA (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

This study examined the alleged prevalence of Satanism in Zambia, with a particular reference to the Kabwe District during the period 2010-2013. The overall objective was to ascertain the claims and speculations on the alleged prevalence of Satanism in the district of Kabwe. The claims about the alleged prevalence of Satanism and the satanic scare were found by this study to be a reality in Kabwe, with eighty-eight per cent (88%) of the respondents acknowledging the alleged prevalence of the phenomenon. People’s knowledge of Satanism was mainly through rumours, messages from Churches and the electronic media. Studies on rumours (by Stephen Ellis, Gerrie Ter Haar and Jeffrey Victor) have shown that rumours can be investigated in the search for facts, especially rumours that offer plausible explanations for people’s shared anxieties. The above mentioned scholars argue that with efforts at corroboration, such as by interviewing key informants, the researcher can seek credibility on prevailing rumours by verifying or dismissing mere rumours from true stories. The assertions from scholars above justified the use of rumours as a methodological tool in this study. From sources of information the study relied on, claims about the alleged prevalence of Satanism in the district were investigated. The study refuted the satanic claims in a number of cases that were analysed, because they were mostly based on ‘pious legends’ hence lacked objective evidence. From the few incidents that suggested the prevalence of Satanism, there were still two basic problems faced in assessing their credibility: the first being the difficulty in determining the reliability of the confessions from informants who in this case either claimed they were ex-Satanists or served on behalf of Satanists. The second problem consisted in what seemed to be the inconsistency in the explanations of motives behind human killings found in the ritual murders. Some explanations did not suggest satanic motives. One example of refuted claims concerned the two locations within Kabwe district which were highly rumoured to be sites for Satanists, which were found by this study to be Freemasonry Lodges, contrary to what was rumoured.From the findings of this study, it was believed that people joined Satanism either because of the greedy for riches or to avoid poverty. It was also believed that other peoples joined Satanism unconsciously through luring methods used by Satanists. The study also found the satanic scare to have effects on the lives of people in the district. For example, it caused some people to become more committed Christians in their defence against the alleged satanic forces. Because people had associated riches to Satanism, certain individuals avoided getting rich for fear of being labelled ‘Satanists’. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)