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An Examination of Serial Homicide in South Africa: The Practice to Research Link
Abstract
In this paper, South African serial homicide cases will be used to illustrate how practice can inform research and how research can aid practice by highlighting key questions that need to be answered and practice-based assumptions that need to be empirically tested. The cases will also be used to highlight some of the unique features of series in South Africa. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
... One study that does go some way to answering this question is Labuschagne and Salfati's (2015) article, which provides a summary of current academic research that may be of use when conducting crime linkage. For example, they noted Horning, Salfati, and Labuschagne's (2015) research on consistency of approach type, which has implications as to whether this type of behaviour should be relied on during the linkage process. ...
... Analysts have demonstrated that they are mindful of the available academic research relevant to their profession (Burrell & Bull, 2011). As with Labuschagne and Salfati's (2015) article, though, at this point, what is perhaps most useful with regard to this section are the suggestions for further academic research made by practitioners who conduct crime linkage. Rainbow (2014), for example, requested that more research investigates the decision thresholds at which crimes should be considered linked (the importance of this factor is also echoed by other authors; Alison et al., 2005). ...
Crime linkage has been the subject of increasing attention in academic research. Research has found support for the principles of behavioural consistency and distinctiveness, which underpin crime linkage, but this does not provide direct evidence as to whether crime linkage is useful in practice. This literature review draws together documentation that refers to the practice of crime linkage, from assessing analysts' efficacy, to discussing the usage of computerised tools to assist with the linkage process, to providing a comprehensive outline of the process itself. The implications of the amount and type of information currently available are discussed, including the variations in practice and terminology that were explored. Avenues for future investigation and the manner in which future research could be conducted are set out in a research agenda.
... The offender was believed to project the bad object onto the victim when unable to hold both representations of the self simultaneously (Liebert, 1985;Schlesinger, 1998). In order to maintain and protect the belief of a good self, the perpetrator projects the bad onto the other (Labuschagne & Salfati, 2015;Liebert, 1985). The process of projection could allow the murderer to dehumanise, and then enact their sadistic fantasies, upon a "deserving" victim who simultaneously symbolises the offender's ability to grandiosely dominate over their victim while temporarily providing catharsis from their ongoing humiliation (Knight, 2006;Schlesinger, 1998). ...
... The offender was believed to project the bad object onto the victim when unable to hold both representations of the self simultaneously (Liebert, 1985;Schlesinger, 1998). In order to maintain and protect the belief of a good self, the perpetrator projects the bad onto the other (Labuschagne & Salfati, 2015;Liebert, 1985). The process of projection could allow the murderer to dehumanise, and then enact their sadistic fantasies, upon a "deserving" victim who simultaneously symbolises the offender's ability to grandiosely dominate over their victim while temporarily providing catharsis from their ongoing humiliation (Knight, 2006;Schlesinger, 1998). ...
This study entails a psychobiography of the serial murderer, Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo (1936-1994). Serial murder has been described in forensic and psychological literature as a complex phenomenon that fascinates both scholars who work with this population group and society. Despite the ongoing fascination with this crime typology, comprehensive understanding of the intrapsychic dynamics of the serial murderer remains an area that would benefit from enhanced investigation and conceptualisation.
The primary aim of the study was to explore, describe and reconstruct the life of Chikatilo by emphasising (a) his functioning as a serial murderer by applying the primitive psychic mechanisms proposed by Claus and Lidberg’s Schahriar’s Syndrome Model of Serial Murder (SSM), and (b) his development that led to the emergence of an inferiority complex, investigated through the presence of four sub-constructs derived from Adler’s theoretical framework of Individual Psychology. The psychological model and the inferiority complex construct were utilised in this single-case psychobiography to systematically deconstruct and reconstruct Chikatilo’s life in such a manner that a comprehensive and holistic psychological understanding emerged. Andrei Chikatilo was a serial murderer who lived in the harsh environmental conditions of the Soviet Union from his birth in 1936 until his execution in 1994. As the subject, Chikatilo was selected using a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. This implies that he was selected as the subject of the study having met pre-determined criteria. Chikatilo was afforded various names including the lesopolosa killer, the Butcher of Rostov, and the Red Ripper. The lesopolosa were wooded areas in Russia and became the location to which he lured and sadistically murdered 52 women and children over a 12-year period. Chikatilo’s life offered a unique opportunity to explore the psychodynamic functioning of a serial murderer in a non-western context, and who grew up amid extreme environmental conditions that influenced his ongoing development and functioning. To date, a psychobiographical study has not been conducted on Chikatilo. The absence of previous studies provided an opportunity to explore his intrapsychic functioning and the manner in which it was influenced by his context, through the application of psychological theory to the biographical and socio-historical literature.
Chikatilo’s life was explored, described, and reconstructed through the systematic gathering, categorisation, and interpretation of publicly available biographical, historical and contextual data on the subject and the Soviet Union. Five significant historical periods were identified, as well as salient psychological data, extracted for analysis using Alexander’s model of principal indicators of psychological saliency. Thereafter, data were organised, and integrated, into conceptual matrices that facilitated analysis and the presentation of findings.
The secondary objective pertaining to the psychobiography was to test the propositions asserted by Claus and Lidberg’s Schahriar’s Syndrome Model and its constituent psychic mechanisms and Adler’s construct of the inferiority complex through the application of analytical generalisation. This was done by applying the propositions and constructs of the psychological frameworks to the real-world context of Chikatilo and aided in testing the relevance and applicability of the frameworks.
The findings of the study suggest that Chikatilo demonstrated the presence of the five primitive psychic mechanisms in his functioning as a serial murderer, and therefore met the criteria proposed by the Schahriar’s Syndrome Model (SSM). Furthermore, the findings identified the presence of the inferiority and superiority complexes that emerged during Chikatilo’s development and functioning, both as a serial murderer and in other important domains of his life. Once integrated, the findings illustrated the applicability and usefulness of the Schahriar’s Syndrome Model by Claus and Lidberg and Adler’s construct of the inferiority complex in the systematic single-case psychobiography of Chikatilo, his intrapsychic functioning and longitudinal development across the five historical periods into which his lifespan was divided.
Keywords: psychobiography, Andrei Chikatilo, serial murderer, Schahriar’s Syndrome Model, primitive psychic mechanisms, the inferiority complex, Alfred Adler
... The offender was believed to project the bad object onto the victim when unable to hold both representations of the self simultaneously (Liebert, 1985;Schlesinger, 1998). In order to maintain and protect the belief of a good self, the perpetrator projects the bad onto the other (Labuschagne & Salfati, 2015;Liebert, 1985). The process of projection could allow the murderer to dehumanise, and then enact their sadistic fantasies, upon a "deserving" victim who simultaneously symbolises the offender's ability to grandiosely dominate over their victim while temporarily providing catharsis from their ongoing humiliation (Knight, 2006;Schlesinger, 1998). ...
This psychobiographical study focused on South African poet, writer and ethologist Eugéne Nielen (1871–1936). His poetry and short stories have secured him a place as one of South Africa’s most renowned writers, while his ethological books and naturalistic studies have secured him international recognition. Marais was selected as subject through purposive sampling, with the aim of providing a psychological exploration and description of aspects of his life, against the backdrop of his socio-historical context. Adler’s theory of individual psychology was applied to the publicly available biographical and historical data collected on Marais. The study’s primary aim was to explore and describe Marais’s individual psychological development throughout his life. The exploratory-descriptive nature of this study, meant that the objective falls within the inductive research approach.
Specific methodological guidelines were used in the extraction and analysis of the data. Particularly, Alexander’s nine indicators of psychological saliency, which was used to assist in organising and selecting Marais's most relevant biographical data. Specific questions were also posed to the data, which enabled the extraction of relevant units of analysis that focused on the study objectives. A psycho-historical matrix was also incorporated to facilitate the data analysis, which assisted in the systematic categorisation and consistent analysis of the collected biographical data on Marais, according to the constructs of his individual psychological development, and in terms of his socio-historical contexts.
Findings suggested that Marais possibly had an inferiority complex as represented by his dependence on morphine throughout most of his adult life. Despite this he also seemed to have had a strong social interest towards people as well as animals. This was seen his love for animals, willingness to help not only his own people but the enemy in times of war, as well as his practice as an amateur doctor without asking compensation.
This study contributed to the body of knowledge on Marais, the framework of Adler’s theory of individual psychology, and the educational objectives in psychobiography.
Keywords: Psychobiography, Eugène Nielen Marais, Alfred Adler, Individual Psychology.
Behavioural crime linking refers to the practice of trying to tie two or more offences to the same offender using behaviour observable at the crime scene. It rests on the assumptions that offenders behave consistently enough from one offence to another, and distinctively enough from other offenders allowing offences to be successfully linked together. Conceptualised in the 70s, and developed methodologically with increased scientific rigour from the 90s, the last decade has seen a sharp rise in published studies on behavioural crime linking. From empirical validation of the underlying assumptions to mapping out practice and more ecologically valid tests of linkage accuracy, the field has developed considerably. Considering that investigating homicide is resource intensive, not to mention serial homicide, reliable and valid behavioural crime linking has the potential to aid and prioritise investigative avenues and help solve serial homicide.
Most studies on serial homicide have been carried out on North American samples. While some research has studied the consistency and distinctiveness of serial homicide offenders, few have empirically tested models of behavioural crime linking and linkage accuracy with serial homicide. Another shortcoming in behavioural crime linking research is the use of mostly serial cases to model crime linking, even though real crime databases include both serial and one-off offences. Some studies have tested the effect of added one-offs on the linkage accuracy of burglary and rape, but none so far the effect this would have on homicide. Additionally, while some studies have compared serial homicide offences to one-off homicides, none have tested whether it would be possible to predict whether a homicide belongs to a series or is a singular offence. Cognitive bias, especially confirmation bias or the expectancy effect, has been shown to have a considerable effect on crime investigation. No studies to date have explored the effect of such bias in behavioural crime linking.
The general aim of the thesis was to increase ecological validity of behavioural crime linking research, especially with regard to sampling choices and analyses that strive to answer questions relevant for homicide investigation. The main sample consisted of 116 Italian serial homicides, committed in 23 separate series of homicide. Additionally, information about 45 cases of hard-to-solve one-off homicide was gathered, coded, and added to the sample. Study I found seven behavioural dimensions of offending (e.g., sexually motivated homicides and aspects of control-behaviour) in line with previous research. Notably, also other motives than sexual were found in the killings. A majority of offences (63%) were correctly classified to their actual series in the predictive part of the study. Study II was an experiment that investigated whether knowledge of series membership increased perceived (coded) behavioural similarity in homicides committed by the same offender. While no support was found for a strong expectancy effect, the experimental task may have lacked in sufficient complexity, and replication is thus needed. Study III found several key differences between serial and singular homicides and was able to successfully use these differences to predict with good accuracy whether an offence was part of a series. Study IV combined all the advances in the methodology thus far and showed that behavioural crime linking was still viable even with a large proportion (10:1) of one-off homicides added into the sample. As a function of added one-off homicides, the specificity of the model worsened (more false positives), as did the proportion of offences belonging to a series found near the top of a ranked listing from more behaviourally similar to less behaviourally similar. Overall model accuracy remained good, though, further validating the practice of behavioural crime linking with more ecologically valid data.
The studies of the present thesis contribute to the methodology of behavioural crime linking research. Replication on local crime databases is needed to maximise the practical usefulness of the models in different jurisdictions. Going forward, a close-knit collaboration between researchers and practitioners is called for, to keep the research relevant for practice and to develop evidence-based practice. As we gain a clearer picture of the accuracy and error rate of behavioural crime linking models, their usefulness increase in both the criminal investigative phase and in the trial phase with behavioural crime linking being presented as expert evidence.
Scholars have explored and compared the experiences of people who use drugs (PWUDs), including encounters with the criminal justice system. However, there is a dearth of literature on police encounters with PWUDs in African countries, such as Ghana. This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of PWUDs with the police. Thirty-eight PWUDs (mean age = 38; SD = 10.40) were purposively sampled from six drug rehabilitation centres from three regions in Ghana. Three themes were developed from the participants’ responses: police encounters, ecstasy and the psychosocial consequences of drug use, such as the psychological effects, development of criminality, disruption of people’s lifestyles and collapse of familial relationships. The topic of police encounters included the sub-themes of sudden, unannounced police sweeps, ghettos, bribery and the non-deterrence of arrests. These themes are discussed in relation to the literature, and several recommendations are proffered.
The topic of crime and violence often dominates discussions about South Africa. Excessive crime rates cause wide-reaching feelings of anxiety and fear of crime and associated violence among citizens. Research on the broad spectrum of crime and violence in South Africa has captured the imagination of many researchers internationally. Crime and violence have become part of daily life for many people living in South Africa. Commentators frequently report on the extreme prevalence of violent crime in South Africa and often label the country as one of the most violent in the world. The nature and the extent of crime and violence in the country not only influence citizens’ well-being but also have an overwhelming effect on the social structure of communities. Empirical evidence shows that the extent of violence and crime in South Africa is greater than the extent of violence and crime generally experienced globally. Why is violent crime so prevalent in South Africa? This chapter provides some insight into the violent characteristics of crime victimisation in South Africa. It provides a brief historical background of and insight into violence and crime in South Africa; describes the nature and the extent of violent crime in South Africa; explains the risk factors of crime victimisation and violence in South Africa; and illustrates South Africans’ perceptions and experiences of crime and violence. Instead of being based on theory alone, this chapter draws on the narratives of victims behind South Africa’s statistics of violent crime victimisation.
South Africa has recorded a high number of serial murders in its modern history. Since the mid-1990s, over 170 murder series have been identified by the South African Police Service (SAPS). This led to the SAPS creating a specialised unit to deal with this and related crimes in the mid-1990s, fashioned along the lines of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units. This chapter sets the historical context of serial murder in South Africa and reviews the existing research on South African serial murder including the landmark 2015 research conducted in conjunction with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and is one of the largest serial murder studies using police case files in the world to date. Insights into how the SAPS adapted to investigate these cases are also provided. Case studies are used to bring the local nuances of South African cases to life.
The rising population of prisoners and the movement towards compassionate care for prisoners with mental health needs highlight the need to assess correctional mental health services in the Nigerian criminal justice system. This chapter seeks to foster prisoners’ rights, and the development of feasible correctional mental health legislations. Therefore, the chapter discusses the mental health of prisoners within the Nigerian criminal justice system and provides an overview of policies, studies, and facilitators and barriers to addressing prisoner mental health in Nigeria. The chapter concludes with a discussion of practical implications.
In the spirit of the work edited by Michel Foucault (1975) on Pierre Rivière, I propose to put philosophy to work by tackling a case study in which I shall analyse certain court transcripts that pertain to the defence of serial killer, Stewart Wilken, in Die Staat Teen Stewart Wilken. My analysis of these documents is intended to uncover the practices and struggles of the discourses that come together, and into conflict, at this event. The analysis is divided into two parts. In Part One, I thematize subjectivity in relation to the idea of enlightenment autonomy. Here I aim to show that the discourses in law, psychiatry and psychology that dominated at Wilken's trial, appear to have undergone “normalization.” In other words, what Foucault uncovered as early internecine struggles among discourses for supremacy have given way to a unanimous stance concerning the nature of the autonomous subject and its legal ramifications; effectively silencing alternatives. In Part Two, I shall skirt around the frayed edges of these dominant discourses, with the aim of showing in more detail how internal theoretical tensions, such as those evident in the expert testimony given at Wilken's trial, may open up spaces for other accounts of subject- formation.
S. Afr. J. Philos. Vol.22(4) 2003: 289-305
This current study assessed the value of the Interpersonal Model in differentiating serial homicide offences in South Africa, notably in terms of how the offender may display behavioural patterns that are indicative of them dealing with the victim as a Person, an Object, or a Vehicle. The sample consisted of 302 offences committed by 33 offenders that occurred from 1953 to 2007 in South Africa. Multidimensional scaling analysis was used to test the Interpersonal Model and results indicated that crime themes did not directly correspond to the threefold model. Instead, two crime scene types were present: Victim as Object (where the focus was on tangible gains, interaction with the victim throughout the phases of the crime was limited, and victims included men and live women) and Victim as Vehicle (where the victim might be construed as a conduit through whom the offender could realise their specific psychological needs, the interaction was extensive, and victims tended to be vulnerable). South African serial homicides did not appear to have a specific sub-theme of Victim as Person, suggesting that the themes engaged in centred more on instrumentally focused actions but in qualitatively different ways. However, victim types were integral to the overall behavioural model. Using the Victim as Object/Vehicle dichotomy, 85.7% of the offences could be seen to engage dominantly in one of the two patterns at the crime scene. This not only supported the results of a twofold model, but having these many offenders showing a dominant crime scene type also shows that the model is an excellent representation of serial homicide offending in South Africa. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This article documents the definition and context of serial murder. The main theoretical framework adopted is object relations theories which have been particularly renowned for drawing close attention to the process and development of the early dyadic mother-infant relationship as
a primary departure point for understanding both healthy and pathological psychic development. These theories have been especially comprehensive in depicting the inner world of the infant as magical and terrifying, fractured and kaleidoscopic. Within the context of narcissistic dynamics, one
aspect of human behavior may be described as nonpathological and the basis for healthy ambitions and ideals, while another may be identified as pathological and destructive so that individuals behave in grandiose and murderous ways. Some of these individuals are sadistic serial killers who
enjoy the sexual thrill of murdering and who are both pathological and destructive narcissists. This study examines the psychological roots of the behavior of sexually motivated male serial killers, and why they do what they do. The context of serial murder is presented, with a refined definition
of sexually motivated serial murder. The development of narcissism is described as this forms the basis for understanding such behavior.
Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. Includes bibliography (leaves 175-179).
Recent literature suggests that different ‘styles’ of homicide will most appropriately be reflected in the different types of behaviours committed by offenders during the crime. In the last few years, there has been a move to standardise classification systems of single homicides and establish their cross-national generalisability. Literature on serial homicide to date has mostly centred on homicides occurring in the US. However, national differences due to factors such as culture, national identity, political, and socio-economic circumstances may decrease the applicability of these models or certain aspects thereof in other countries and thus must be evaluated. The present study tested the applicability in the South African context of a recently developed US-based serial homicide crime scene classification framework. Specifically, this study compared the thematic differentiation in planning and violent behaviours that the offenders engage in and how this differentiation compares with that in the US. The sample consisted of 25 homicides that were in total responsible for the murder of 267 victims. Results indicated that overall, the framework is useful and applicable in the South African sample, but important environmental and contextual constraints must be taken into account. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
There is an abundance of literature on serial homicide from a Western perspective that outlines operational definitions, types of offenders and how they prey upon their victims. However, currently, there is a lack of studies that compare serial homicide in different countries. The current study aims to give an overview of the demographics of serial homicide offenders and victims in South Africa and compare these to the demographics of offenders and victims from other currently available empirical studies of other countries. The sample consisted of 33 out of the total 54 solved series in South Africa between 1936–2007, which includes a total of 33 offenders, 302 victims, and 254 crime scenes. Results of the sample as a whole showed that South African serial homicide offenders are similar to offenders in other countries in terms of their actions at the crime scene and victim choice, with some notable exceptions. Additional analysis looked at the offender's consistency of targeting certain types of victims across their homicide series in comparison with the patterns of serial homicide offenders in other countries. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Key to understanding the significance of behavioural evidence for linkage purposes is in establishing how consistently an offender displays the same or similar behaviours across their series. There have however to date been very few studies aiming at identifying salient components of offending behaviour that can be used reliably for linking individual crimes as part of a single series. In addition, studies that have been conducted have all dealt with serial homicide in the Western world and have been based on small samples of cases from each country. Some of the recent literature has started to disentangle some of these salient features, notably the victim, violence levels, control, and planning. The current study focused on evaluating the consistency of these features across series, using a sample of serial homicides from South Africa consisting of 30 offenders with a total of 283 victims and 235 crime scenes. Results indicate that the level of interaction with the victim may be influential to the stability or instability of offending patterns across the series. How offenders approach planning in their offence also showed a certain degree of consistency, with patterns of violence being the least consistent across the series of all components tested. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This article takes the form of an autocritique, plotting the progression and ultimate dissolution of a developmental psychopathology research project on Kobus Geldenhuys, the notorious Norwood serial killer. The topic is introduced with a detailed case study, which gives way to a classical psychoanalytic interpretation, that is, an engagement that explores Geldenhuys's psychopathology through the interlocking accounts of the zonal stages, the Oedipus complex and the id/ego/superego structural dynamics of personality. This and other similar regularising engagements with the topic are then themselves analysed and critiqued as producing multiple lines of objectification, fictionalisation, prurience and distance. By way of resolution, the article lists a series of concerns about particular trends of attempted knowledge production in psychology.
Currently it is generally accepted among members of the law enforcement community, forensic psychologists, criminologists and profilers that serial killers are mostly white males in their twenties and thirties of above average intelligence who usually commit intra-racial murders of strangers. The present paper focuses on validation of these hypotheses through the study of 21 serial killers (and their 97 victims), whose cases have been closed by arrest and finalised in terms of convictions and appeals. The issues of prior charges, military service, marital status, criminal organisation, modus operandi and psychiatric diagnosis are included in the analysis as well. It is concluded that though currently accepted hypotheses still hold in general, the melting pot trend of the modern society towards diversity and interdependence leads to far more complex a picture of serial killers than previously thought. Implications of these findings for law enforcement, forensic psychology and profiling are discussed.
The linking of a series of crimes to one individual has always been problematic, especially in the absence of eyewitness or forensic evidence. During the investigation, another means whereby this can be done is through linkage analysis. Yet a linkage analysis can also play a role during the trial of a serial offender. This paper examines the use of a linkage analysis report as evidence during the trial of the Newcastle serial murderer in South Africa. The linkage analysis examined the circumstances of the crime, modus operandi, and signature behaviour of the offender, to come to the conclusion that all the offences were committed by one individual, despite the lack of eyewitness or forensic evidence linking the suspect to two of the four incidents. This evidence was admitted by the court and the presiding officer concurred that the accused was guilty of committing the crimes during the third and fourth incidents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The total number of serial murderers who were convicted between 1945 and 1995 in the Federal Republic of Germany (N = 61) are described in terms of their characteristics, with reference to sociodemographics, family background, social integration, intellectual capability, and personality disorders. A comparison with a larger sample of German single murderers from a previous study shows that the serial perpetrators appear to constitute a particular class of homicide offenders. In particular, the serial murderers have a higher likelihood of personality disorder, cerebral anomalies, and offense premeditation and are more likely to have had no relationship with the victim prior to the offense. With respect to differentiation among serial murderers, differences become apparent between serial murderers whose offenses have a strong sexual component (n = 22) and the remainder of the sample. Finally, the limited capacity of modus operandi and signature for linking cases in ongoing investigations is discussed.
The systematic study of serial murder in South Africa is a newly developed field. This research demonstrates the similarities and differences between South African serial murderers and those found elsewhere. The most marked difference is the higher incidence of cross-ethnic offending, the lower rate of ‘team killers’, and the lack of female serial murderers in South Africa. South African offenders display similar geographical behaviours to foreign serial murderers. Overall, South African offenders display more behaviour in common with their non-European counterparts than serial murderers from the USA. South African serial murderers display certain diagnostic and developmental features that are different from those reported in North American serial murderers. Of these, the most notable is the seeming lack of sexually violent conscious fantasy. There are also fundamental similarities in experience: exposure to traumatic experiences, and profound interpersonal isolation and distance. This ambivalence is also noted in discussions of the evolution of behaviour in the offences, and in the discussion of motives in serial murder. This demonstrates areas that previous studies of serial murder need to explore further. This study also highlights the need for research into the ways in which offence behaviours are affected by the social environment. Finally, the analysis of serial murderers in South Africa suggests ways in which serial murder can be tackled. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Serial murder was a well-known phenomenon in the early twentieth century. Between about 1900 and 1940 there were dozens of recorded incidents in the United States, and extreme cases occurred almost as frequently as they have done in the last two decades. This article describes and attempts to classify incidents of serial homicide in this area. It also discusses the changing theoretical and medical explanations used to account for this type of crime and the impact of new theories on the practice of the courts and law-enforcement agencies. Finally, the frequency of serial homicide is tentatively linked to the broader social and economic history of the period.
Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--Rhodes University, 2002.
Thesis (DPhil (Sielk.)) - Universiteit van Pretoria, 1996.
Typescript. Thesis (M.S.)--California State University, Fresno. Includes bibliographical references.
Typescript. Thesis (M.S.) - California State University, Fresno. Includes bibliographical references.
Between 1995 and 1997, in the territories of Southern Italy, there were fifteen murders of elderly women over the age of 70 years old. Initially, however, not all the murders were attributed to a single serial killer. The majority of the victims were stabbed multiple times in the neck, except for three cases in which the cause of death was manual strangulation. There was evidence of sexual assault in only one of the cases. All the victims were discovered in their own apartments, which were located on the ground level, with no signs of forced entry. In most of the cases, the offender stole money and/or jewellery. A multi-disciplinary team reviewed the cases during the investigation and created a profile of the killer. The team determined that the method of operation was completely unusual for the local criminal element. They suggested that the perpetrator could be an immigrant, who committed the murders for sexual motivation and who may have been arrested previously for sex-related incidents. On 15th September 1997, a suspect was arrested. He was identified as Ben Mohamed Ezzedine Sebai, a 35-year-old white male, originally from Tunisia. He was charged and convicted of four of the murders and was given a life sentence. In 2005, Sebai confessed to the murders of four additional elderly women, for which nine other people had already been previously tried and convicted, among them, a man who committed suicide in jail. In 2007, Sebai finally confessed to committing fifteen murders that occurred between 1995 and 1997. Sebai also admitted to experiencing sexual gratification at every homicide scene, even though there was no physical proof at most of the crime scenes. The goal of this article is to illustrate a little-known but noteworthy case concerning a serial sexual killer of elderly women that occurred in Southern Italy, highlighting the method of operation, the victim selection process, and the injuries inflicted. The article will also discuss his motivation, the mental health history of the offender, his clinical diagnosis, and his self-reported childhood abuse.
This paper describes a rare forensic psychiatric syndrome which has been the subject of massive publicity in the last decade. Despite the widespread interest, the psychodynamic process whereby a person becomes a serial murderer remains largely unknown. "Jacob" was convicted of a series of murders that he carried out over a decade. The case material is based on the psychiatric reports that were presented to the court and the many articles published in the local press at the time. Despite the limitations imposed by the material, the available information on "Jacob" bears some similarity to the phenomenological and psychodynamic models described in the literature. An attempt is made to understand the transformation of a person into a serial killer considering the life events, psychopathology and stressors that lead to the emergence from the world of imagination and fantasy of a potential murderer to the deeds that comprise the syndrome.
The current study re-examines an exceptional case of a serial killer incarcerated since a decade ago. "Jacob" is the first serial killer apprehended in Israel. His known actions were committed during the eighties of the last century, and continued for eleven years. The victims were elderly individuals, including both his parents. Shortly after incarceration he became overtly schizophrenic and underwent five hospitalisations. The case is re-examined in view of changes, both in the perpetrator's diagnosis and criminal legislation. Was Jacob doomed to become a serial killer, or could his fate be avoided through early professional intervention? Were the killings presenting symptoms of a psychotic or pre-psychotic phase? Should he be eligible for a retrial? What would have been his position with the current law in view of the new 300A(a) clause ("Reduced Punishment") of the Israeli Criminal Code? Could he ever be released back to the community? These are some of the questions to be addressed.
This case series documents and examines the association between autoerotic asphyxiation, sadomasochism, and serial sexual murderers. Autoerotic asphyxiation, along with other paraphilias found in this population, is reviewed. Five cases of serial sexual killers who engaged in autoerotic asphyxiation were identified worldwide: four from the United States and one from Russia. Case reports for each are provided. All (100%) were found to have sexual sadism in addition to autoerotic asphyxiation. Furthermore, two (40%) had bondage fetishism, and two (40%) had transvestic fetishism, consistent with these paraphilias co-occurring in those with autoerotic asphyxiation. Overall the group averaged 4.0 lifetime paraphilias. Some possible relationships were observed between the offenders' paraphilic orientation and their modus operandi, e.g., all of these serial killers strangled victims-suggesting an association between their sadistic and asphyxiative paraphilic interests. The overlap of seemingly polar opposite paraphilias in this sample--sexual sadism and autoerotic asphyxiation--is explored from a historical and clinical perspective. Multiple commonalities shared between these five offenders and serial sexual murderers in general are addressed. A primary limitation of this study is its small sample size and empirical basis; the results may not be generalizable beyond the sample. The findings from this study support the supposition that crime scene behaviors often reflect paraphilic disturbances in those who commit serial sexual homicides.
To describe the epidemiology and forensic management of suspected rape homicide in South Africa, with the aim of promoting the recognition of this form of violence against women amongst forensic pathologists during post-mortem examination.
A retrospective national study in a proportionate random sample of 25 medico-legal laboratories was carried out to identify all homicides in 1999 of women over the age of 13 years. Data was collected from the mortuary file, autopsy report, police record and during interviews with police.
A rape homicide was suspected in 16.3% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 10.6-22.3) of the female homicides which gave a rape homicide rate of 3.65/100,000 women over 13 years. Rape homicides were more likely to than other female homicides to be crimes where the perpetrator and victim were strangers, where the crime happened in public spaces and the victim older than the perpetrator. In addition to genital injuries, injuries associated with this crime included those of head and face, legs, neck and injuries caused by bites. Victims had larger numbers of injuries, and more often a mechanism of death due to strangulation asphyxiation, or blunt trauma, rather than gunshot.
Rape homicide is an extreme form of violence against women and the prevalence in South Africa is higher than that of all female homicides in the United States. The particular pattern of injury found in these cases should be used to develop protocols for autopsies on murdered women to ensure that crucial evidence is not lost and the victims' and their families claim to justice is not compromised.
Recent American work on serial murder has begun to move away from exclusive reliance on case-studies to broader and more quantitative accounts of the total phenomenon as it involves both offenders and victims. This article discusses the phenomenon of serial murder over a long period by focusing on England, where homicide of this sort is sufficiently rare to have been studied in detail. A comprehensive list of offenders also was easily constructed. Offender characteristics are discussed, to show a sharp division between serial killers whose violence was apparent in early childhood and others who seemed relatively normal until well into adulthood. The article also considers the relative success of English police and courts in handling the special problems posed by serial homicide.
Towards a psychological understanding of serial murder
- J J Du Plessis
Du Plessis, J. J. (1998). Towards a psychological understanding of serial murder. Unpublished
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