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The Sexually Sadistic Criminal and His Offences

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This is an uncontrolled, descriptive study of 30 sexually sadistic criminals. All were men, and all intentionally tortured their victims in order to arouse themselves. Their crimes often involved careful planning, the selection of strangers as victims, approaching the victim under a pretext, participation of a partner, beating victims, restraining victims and holding them captive, sexual bondage, anal rape, forced fellatio, vaginal rape, foreign object penetration, telling victims to speak particular words in a degrading manner, murder or serial killings (most often by strangulation), concealing victims' corpses, recording offenses, and keeping personal items belonging to victims.
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... Dans le cadre d'études cliniques et descriptives (p. ex., Brittain, 1970 ;Dietz, Hazelwood et Warren, 1990 ;MacCulloch, Snowden, Wood et Mills, 1983), plusieurs caractéristiques ont été identifiées chez les délinquants sexuels sadiques. Par exemple, en ce qui concerne leur style de vie, les sadiques sont décrits comme étant isolés socialement. ...
... De plus, ils éprouveraient un profond désintérêt et un détachement vis-à-vis de ceux et celles qui les entourent (Brittain, 1970 ;MacCulloch et al., 1983). Du côté de leur profil psychopathologique, les sadiques sont dépeints comme ayant des traits de personnalité narcissique (Brittain, 1970 ;Dietz et al., 1990) et psychopathique (Dietz et al., 1990 ;MacCulloch et al., 1983), et manquant d'empathie (Dietz et al., 1990). Cela leur permettrait de s'engager plus facilement dans un processus de déshumanisation de la victime, et ainsi de réaliser leur délit. ...
... De plus, ils éprouveraient un profond désintérêt et un détachement vis-à-vis de ceux et celles qui les entourent (Brittain, 1970 ;MacCulloch et al., 1983). Du côté de leur profil psychopathologique, les sadiques sont dépeints comme ayant des traits de personnalité narcissique (Brittain, 1970 ;Dietz et al., 1990) et psychopathique (Dietz et al., 1990 ;MacCulloch et al., 1983), et manquant d'empathie (Dietz et al., 1990). Cela leur permettrait de s'engager plus facilement dans un processus de déshumanisation de la victime, et ainsi de réaliser leur délit. ...
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À ce jour, il n’existe pas de consensus dans la littérature concernant les caractéristiques de l’agresseur sexuel sadique. Cette absence est largement due aux limitations des études portant sur ce phénomène. Par exemple, certaines études utilisent des définitions idiosyncratiques du sadisme sexuel, les échantillons étudiés sont hétérogènes, et la temporalité de ces études est souvent fixée à l’âge adulte. Afin de pallier ces limitations, nous avons entrepris d’identifier les caractéristiques distinctives des agresseurs sexuels sadiques (n = 69) et non-sadiques (n = 137) ciblant des femmes adultes, tous incarcérés au Québec, Canada. La Severe Sexual Sadism Scale (SESAS), un instrument validé empiriquement, a été utilisée pour classifier les agresseurs. Des analyses bivariées (chi-carré) ont été effectuées. Nos résultats ont révélé que les agresseurs sexuels sadiques et non-sadiques de femmes diffèrent sur plusieurs aspects, notamment sur les plans développemental, psychologique, sexologique et criminologique. Les implications théoriques et cliniques de nos résultats sont discutées.
... The current study examines the pre, per, and post-crime phases of the crime-commission process involved in SH where items were taken from the victim or crime scene. Previous literature (e.g., Dietz et al., 1990;Ressler et al., 1988) has suggested that sadistic SHOs take souvenirs and trophies from their crimes, yet empirical literature is limited. This study aims to fill the gap within the literature on the behaviour of theft in SH to provide investigators with consistent and reliable information to develop investigative techniques for these offenders and their crimes. ...
... SH differs starkly from non-SH as the former includes sexual dynamics usually perpetuated through the offenders' elaborate fantasy lives (Schlesinger et al., 2010;Warren et al., 2013). Studies have found some SHOs to engage in keeping personal items from their victims, and this behaviour is not for monetary reasons but to serve the offender psychologically (e.g., Dietz et al., 1990;Holmes & Holmes, 2009;Ressler et al., 1988;Schlesinger et al., 2010;Warren et al., 2013). Items taken from the victim and crime scene by SHOs post-crime have been identified as souvenirs and trophies (e.g., Holmes & Holmes, 2009;Ressler et al., 1988). ...
... Ressler et al. (1988) emphasised trophies as symbolic of the offender's skill and control over the victim and did not mention them to have a sexual element. The study by Dietz et al. (1990) further claimed that the SHO keeps personal items as trophies symbolising the 'conquest' of the offender over the victim or as physical items that allow the offender to be in a reverie state with his sexual fantasies. Using the research by Dietz et al. (1990), we can see that both motivations (i.e., conquest and sexual arousal) appear as to why a SHO would take an item from the victim, which is classified as a trophy. ...
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Although most people have heard the terms ‘souvenirs’, ‘trophies’, and ‘mementos’, discussed in books and movies on the true crimes of sexual murderers, limited research has delved into the phenomenon of theft in sexual homicide (SH). Using a sample of 762 SH cases coming from the Sexual Homicide International Database, the current study examines the crime‐commission process of the pre‐crime, crime, and post‐crime phases of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) who engaged in theft during a SH. Additionally, this study seeks to determine if a specific type of SHO engages in this behaviour over others. Results from the sequential logistic regression indicate that victims who are 16 years or older, were strangers to the SHO, and were sex workers were more likely to be victims of theft. Additionally, results indicate that the presence of sadism made it more likely the SHO would engage in theft from the victim and/or crime scene. Findings suggest there is a group of SHOs who engage in theft not for monetary purposes but due to the paraphilia of the offender. These findings can inform the police investigation of these crimes.
... This approach, represented by works like those of Arndt, Hietpas, and Kim (2004), Burgess, Prentky, Burgess, Douglas, and Ressler (1994), Hickey (2016), Rossmo (2000) and Vincent, Williams, Huff-Corzine, and Corzine (2022), is underscored by the perception that the number of victims directly correlates with the magnitude of societal threat posed by these offenders. Factors such as the killer's motivation (Holmes & Holmes, 1998;Ressler, Burgess, Douglas, Hartman, & D'Agostino, 1986), premeditation (Adjorlolo & Chan, 2014;Brantley & Kosky, 2005;Dietz, Hazelwood, & Warren, 1990), and victimology (Godwin, 2008;Quinet, 2011;Rossmo, 2000) have been analyzed to assess the variance in victim count across different serial killers. Factors such as time, location, premeditation, arousal, cognitive state (Stefanska & Tehan, 2022) as well as victim selection patterns have been used to explain the variance in time intervals between homicides and are thought to have implications on behavioral consistency and change (Sorochinski, Salfati, Libretti and Gupta, 2023). ...
... Perpetrators of premeditated and contemplative homicides are more prone to becoming chronic offenders (DeLisi et al., 2017). Additionally, research suggests that a substantial proportion of sadistic serial offenders engaged in meticulous planning of their homicides (Dietz et al., 1990). The literature emphasizes that planning constituted a fundamental characteristic of many serial murderers and a critical component of their success (Adjorlolo & Chan, 2014;Brantley & Kosky, 2005;Harbort & Mokros, 2001;McNamara & Morton, 2004). ...
Article
Purpose: This study addresses the complex task of determining the criminal intensity posed by serial killers in a murder series by introducing the Lambda (− rate of killings) to adjust for the time span in a murder series. It focuses on examining factors related to the offender and the crime-commission process that influence victim count in a series. Methods: Generalized estimating equations with a negative binomial and a gamma log link function were used to examine factors predicting victim count in a sample of 1258 serial murder cases. Results: Results showed that offender criminal history did not predict higher levels of Lambda when assessing victim count alone, but did predict a lower value when series length was accounted for. Killing methods were also significant predictors of a higher Lambda but were less useful when only number of victims was considered. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of the rate of killings along with total victim count for a more comprehensive understanding of the series' criminal intensity. This approach has implications for law enforcement and criminal profiling as it offers a more detailed perspective on the immediate threat posed by serial killers.
... Such rituals could involve specific sequences of torture, particular types of verbal abuse, or precise methods of restraining the victim. These actions are meticulously orchestrated to maximize the perceived control over the victim and intensify the pleasure derived from the victim's distress [11]. ...
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The present review article, "Dark Desires: Exploring the Nexus of Sexual Sadism and Psychopathy in Serial Killers," aims to critically analyze the confluence of sexual sadism and psychopathy within serial homicidal contexts. Utilizing a systematic literature review methodology, this paper aggregates and synthesizes findings from an array of scholarly articles, case reports, and empirical studies that document instances of these phenomena among serial killers. The principal outcomes indicate a pronounced intersection between sexual sadism and psychopathy, manifested through heightened manipulative behaviors, a profound absence of empathy, and an inclination towards violent sexual fantasies. This synthesis underscores the diagnostic and prognostic significance of these traits in forensic profiling, contributing to a nuanced understanding of their role in criminal pathology. The article concludes by delineating the intricate nature of these psychological constructs and advocating for advanced empirical inquiries to refine their diagnostic frameworks and therapeutic modalities. Such future research is pivotal in developing efficacious preventative and rehabilitative strategies for offenders exhibiting these characteristics.
... Sexual acts may include vaginal and anal penetration, fellatio, cunnilingus, kissing, grabbing/hugging, fondling, digital penetration, the use of foreign objects for sexual penetration, masturbation, slapping, beating, touching breasts, biting, choking, suffocation, non-fatal strangulation, hanging, fetishism, bondage, whipping, costuming, and behaviourally and/or verbally scripting the victim (Bownes et al., 1991 ;Chui and Leclerc, 2017;Dietz et al., 1990). ...
Article
Non-stranger rape (NSR) cases are often not prosecuted because of the poor quality of the accounts obtained from complainants. However, a growing body of research suggests that such high attrition rates are likely to improve when the quality of these accounts is increased by skilled interviewing. To assist police interviewers in eliciting high-quality accounts, the development of a guide for the interviewing of NSR complainants has recently been recommended. The present study aims to make the first step in developing such a guide. A multidisciplinary literature search was conducted. The newly developed Non-Stranger Rapist-Oriented Interview (NSROI) is specifically designed to promote complainants’ disclosure of evidentially relevant information in the form of a clear, chronological and concise narrative (i.e., a high-quality account). The guide is divided into the ‘preparatory’, ‘rape’ and ‘rape aftermath’ phase. The three themes and questions of the first phase focus on revealing the context in which the alleged rape occurred. The five themes and questions of the second phase concentrate on the day of sexual penetration. The third phase’s ninth theme and questions focus on the psychological impact of the events on the complainant. The guide includes the following themes: (i) vulnerabilities, (ii) relationship history, (iii) indications of planning and premeditation, (iv) method to gain control, (v) method to keep control, (vi) offered resistance, (vii) sexual acts performed, sequence and degree of penetration, (viii) perpetrator’s behaviour after the performed sexual acts and (ix) victim’s post-event psychological injury. The potential, implications and limitations of the NSROI are discussed.
... Over 30% of offenders had elevated scores on the measure and 70% of perpetrators used excessive physical violence in the commissions of their offense. Several other similarities to previous studies on child SHOs were also found, including the presence of deviant sexual fantasies prior to the offense, the use of restraints, strangulation/asphyxiation, and the hiding of the victim's body Beauregard & Proulx, 2002;Darjee & Baron, 2018;Dietz et al., 1990;Page et al., 2022;Spehr et al., 2010;Stefanska et al., 2015). The finding that child SHOs more commonly used strangulation/asphyxiation as method of killing may indicate a heightened preference for a close and intimate homicide or alternatively reflect the opportunistic nature of these crimes and child victims being less likely to have a physically strong build (Eichinger & Darjee, 2021;Kim et al., 2023). ...
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The present study examined distinctions between child (n = 30) and adult (n = 212) sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) in Australia and New Zealand, contributing to the limited international research on the subject. Data, primarily sourced from judges' sentencing comments on AustLII and New Zealand Legal Information Institute, revealed significant differences. Child SHOs displayed elevated rates of pedophilia, sexual deviance, and adverse childhood experiences, including sexual abuse. They were more likely to be married, cohabitate, and target familial victims. Their crimes were more often committed during daylight and outdoors, involving tactics such as victim conning, restraints, strangulation, and hiding victim's bodies. No significant group differences emerged regarding offenders' psychopathy or sexual sadism scores. Results were interpreted in line with child SHOs' deviant sexual preferences and the routine activity theory. The study, as the first investigating child sexual homicides in Australia and New Zealand, sets the foundation for an evidence‐based approach to policy and practice.
... Therefore, our findings suggest that the increased prevalence of paraphilic behaviors in persons scoring higher on psychopathic traits might not necessarily be the result of impaired inhibitory control 54 . One reason for the absent effect might be that paraphilic behavior require some sort of planning 55 , and corroborates with the idea that psychopathic personality is not per definition associated with impulsivity 26 . Paraphilic engagement may also include more affective features of psychopathic personality, instead of those more impulsive-antisocial, as previously shown by Robertson and Knight 22 . ...
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Maladaptive personality traits, such as ‘dark personalities’ are found to result in a diverse set of negative outcomes, including paraphilic interests and associated (illegal) behaviors. It is however unclear how these are exactly related, and if related, if then only those individuals higher on dark personality traits and higher impulsivity engage in paraphilic behaviors. In the current study, 50 participants were recruited to investigate the relationship between Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism and everyday sadism), paraphilic interests (arousal and behavior) and the moderating role of impulsivity. Personality and paraphilic interests were investigated through self-report questionnaires. Impulsivity was measured both through self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity and the P3 event related potential using electroencephalography during the Go/No-Go task (i.e. response inhibition). The results showed that there was a positive association between psychopathy, sadism and paraphilic interests. Whereas everyday sadism was associated with paraphilic (self-reported) arousal, psychopathy was associated with paraphilic behavior. Although P3 amplitude was not associated with paraphilic interests, self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity was associated with paraphilic behavior specifically. However, there was no moderating role of dysfunctional impulsivity and response inhibition (P3) in the relationship between psychopathy and paraphilic behavior. Findings indicate that the relation between specific dark personalities and paraphilic interests may be more complex than initially thought. Nevertheless, risk assessment and intervention approaches for paraphilia and related behavior both may benefit from incorporating Dark Tetrad and impulsivity measurements.
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