Stranger sexual homicide: an exploratory behavioural analysis of offender crime scene actions

ABSTRACT

This study explores the role and function of homicidal and sexual violence in cases of stranger sexual homicide. The aim was to determine whether the instrumental/expressive hypothesis of physical violence and the overt/covert hypothesis of sexual violence applies to this crime. The method involved an analysis of the crime scene actions of 81 British stranger sexual killers using multidimensional scaling. Results suggest the instrumental/expressive hypothesis of physical violence and the overt/covert hypothesis of sexual violence does apply to stranger sexual homicide but they manifest as instrumental/overt and expressive/covert superordinate themes comprising four sub-themes reflecting rape, impersonal sexual assault, overkill and control. Although these superordinate themes can explain some stranger sexual homicides, a key hypothesis of this study is that the four sub-themes can also combine into different superordinate themes, knowledge of which can aid our understanding of this serious and deviant form of interpersonal violence.     

Murderer vs investigator: factors influencing the resolution of sexual homicide cases

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with the duration of criminal investigations and determine whether these factors influence the seriality of sexual murderers. To this end, data on the investigation of 62 sexual homicides (homicides committed by a serial sexual murderer = 24; homicides committed by a nonserial sexual murderer = 38), were analyzed. Organized behaviors, typical of serial sexual murderers, were not all associated with a longer criminal investigation. However, it was possible to develop a model of the duration of investigations, and predict the seriality of sexual murderers, by taking into account the decisions of murderers and investigators.     

105例凶杀案责任能力评定分析

目的探讨鉴定医生评定凶杀案例责任能力时的主要依据及影响因素。方法对总计105例凶杀案的精神病司法鉴定案例进行回顾性分析。结果无责任能力者41例(39.0%);限定责任能力者28例(26.7%);完全责任能力者36例(34.3%);与刑事责任能力的评定密切相关的因素有:凶杀行为是否由精神病理因素引起(Gamma=0.906,P=0.000),临床诊断是否为重性精神病(Gamma=0.761,P=0.000),被害人是否为家人亲属(Gamma=0.412,P=0.000)。结论从技术层面看,鉴定医生评价责任能力考虑的三个主要方面按重要性依次是:凶杀行为是否由精神病理因素引起,被鉴定人是否患有重性精神病,被害对象是否为家人亲属。     

刑释解教人员重新犯罪心理浅析

刑释解教人员犯罪问题突出早已引起人们的关注,从心理学角度解析刑释解教人员犯罪问题,探究刑释解教人员犯罪的心理机制,有益于实施针对性打防措施。     

Journey to murder: examining the correlates of criminal mobility in sexual homicide

Although the empirical research on the journey to crime seems to indicate that most crimes are committed close to home, only a few studies have specifically examined the journey to crime in cases of sexual homicide. Using a sample of 214 sexual homicide cases, the current study investigates, using logistic regression, offenders who travel during the crime to those offenders who commit their crime, all at the same location. Current findings suggest that sexual murderers who engage in intra-crime travel tend to use a vehicle in the commission of their offence, target adult victims who are involved in the sex trade and move the body post murder.     

Evaluation of the assessment and treatment of a child sex offender: A case study

Abstract

There is indisputable necessity for engaging child sex offenders in effective therapy to reduce recidivist rates. However, it is becoming increasingly recognised that, to do this, more contemporary psychological methods of treatment are being utilised instead of, or as well as, imprisonment.

To establish what constitutes effective therapy requires the constant search for new and successful treatments. To achieve this, it is advantageous to follow preexisting successful methods of treatment but to acknowledge that therapy must be adapted according to an individual's unique presenting difficulties and therapeutic needs.

This paper details assessment techniques, evaluation of psychological dysfunctions, the therapy plan and treatment outcome of a convicted child sex offender. Specifically, Mr X's background history, psychological dysfunctions and progress, using a functional analysis approach, are examined in detail with critical review of the therapeutic intervention.     

Immature offenders. A critical history of the representations of the offender in restorative justice

This paper reconstructs and discusses how the ‘offender’ is represented within policy documents, legal statutes and scholarly literature on restorative justice, published and circulated in England and Wales over the last thirty years. The research first outlines the most wide-ranging and recurrent images and implicit assumptions of the offender in restorative justice. A set of specific offender’s features will be singled out, and the ‘ideal offender’ of restorative justice will be profiled. The final step of this work consists of mapping out the cultural context within which this ideal has emerged, in a historical perspective. The overall goal is to shed light on some taken-for-granted images surrounding the offender in restorative justice, and on the cultural context within which they have developed. In this way, it is possible to contribute toward the critical re-assessment of restorative justice whilst considering implications beyond the British context.     

Urban homicide: Still the same

We use 1984–1986 data to estimate lifetime risks of being murdered in each of 50 large American cities and then compare these projections to others made earlier from 1971–1972 and 1976–1977 data. We find strong constancy over time in the average urban resident's murder risk (essentially a 1 in 68 chance of eventually being slain). Moreover, we find a high stability in the dispersion of risk by region, race, and city size and in the relative rankings of the 50 cities by murder risk. We comment briefly about such recent phenomena as the proliferation of crack and the resumption of capital punishment.Throughout this paper, we use the words murder, homicide, killing, and slaying interchangeably, meaning in all cases murder and nonnegligent manslaughter as defined by the FBI.     

试论刑法中的被害者过错制度

被害者过错问题是被害学理论中的一个关键问题。被害者过错问题的研究有着重要的刑法学意义,而这一问题虽已在不同程度上被各国刑法学界意识到,并在立法中有着片段性的反映,但问题没有被系统化地认识和规制。根据其对刑事事件发生的影响力大小及性质的不同,具体被害者过错可以被分为迫发行为、引发行为、激发行为和触发行为等几个层级,并和加害者刑事责任的大小呈反比对应关系。抽象被害者过错有着与此一致的道理。在刑法及一些相关法律中确立完整、系统的被害者过错制度,意义显著。     

Exploring the criminal histories of stranger sexual killers

Although sexual homicide is receiving increasing research attention, few studies have examined the criminal histories of sexual killers in any detail. This study examined the criminal histories of 81 British stranger sexual killers to determine whether they were generalist, specialists or both and whether their criminal histories reflected violent, sexual, marginality and over control pathways. Results found most stranger sexual killers were generalist offenders and sexual homicide was part of a varied criminal repertoire and non-sexual crimes predominate. This ‘antisocial orientation’ means future offending may not be limited to sexual violence. Criminal histories reflected the violent, sexual, marginality and over control pathways, but offenders in the violent pathway were more criminally orientated. The clinical and investigative implications of these findings were considered as they suggest knowledge of the criminal histories of stranger sexual killers is an important consideration for criminal justice professionals.     

Piquerism in homicide: A knife wound analysis of a sexually motivated serial killer

As part of a wider research project into paraphilic disorders and homicide, a case is presented of a piquerist who achieved sexual satisfaction through the infliction of stabbing wounds. Against a background of sexual domination with willing and unwilling sexual partners, the offender stabbed four men to death. A study of the resulting autopsy reports, in association with the offender's testimony and crime scene documentation, was undertaken to discern a piquerist crime scene signature. An excessive number of stabbing wounds, the targeting of sexual areas, and a variation in wound size and depth were found to be evidence of piquerism. Although there was opportunity to commit a sexual assault upon victims, the preference was to penetrate them with a knife. It is contended that, even without any evidence of sexual assault at a crime scene, a knife wound analysis can reveal a sexual motivation in some cases of homicide.     

116例女性杀人案件法医学分析

本文通过对1993~2014年连云港地区116例女性杀人案件的受害人年龄分布、嫌疑人与受害人关系、现场特征、损伤工具及致命伤位置等进行统计分析,发现男女性之间由于心理、生理特征和性格等多种因素的影响,女性杀人案件呈现出自身特点:女犯罪嫌疑人与被害人的关系多为家庭内部成员,尤以夫妻或男女朋友居多;现场常位于室内,以卧室居多;工具多是居家常用的生产或生活用具;多选择受害人熟睡、酒后时作案,采用窒息、投毒、溺水等方式;损伤集中于要害部位,分布范围集中,打击次数多,致命性损伤、濒死伤和死后损伤多。     

Predictors of sex offender treatment dropout: psychopathy,sex offender risk,and responsivity implications

Abstract

We examined sex offender treatment dropout predictors, in particular, the relationship of psychopathy and sex offender risk to treatment dropout in a sample of 154 federally incarcerated sex offenders treated in a high intensity sex offender treatment program. Demographic, criminal history, mental health and treatment-related data as well as data on risk assessment measures including the Static 99, Violence Risk Scale – Sexual Offender version (VRS-SO), and Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R) were collected. Logistic regression and discriminant function analyses were used to identify predictors that made significant and unique contributions to dropout among all the variables under study. The Emotional facet of Factor 1 of the PCL-R and never being married were found to be the most salient predictors of treatment dropout and correctly identified about 70% of the cases. The implications of the findings for managing treatment dropout and for the treatment of psychopathic offenders are discussed.     

Still Paying for the Past: Examining Gender Differences in Employment Among Individuals with a Criminal Record

Although many studies have examined employment outcomes of those with criminal convictions, no study to date has examined gender differences in employment outcomes of individuals with criminal convictions using a nationally representative sample of individuals from the United States. In this study, we use data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine differences in employment after a criminal conviction for females and males. Results reveal that for women with a conviction, a drug offense and having dependent children limit the number of weeks of employment. For males, race, education, age at first conviction, and a subsequent conviction predict the number of weeks employed. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.     

限定刑事责任能力评定量表在暴力案件中的应用

目的研究《限定刑事责任能力评定量表》在暴力案件中的使用情况。方法对103例暴力犯罪案件中的被鉴定人分别使用《限定刑事责任能力评定量表》、《暴力作案刑事责任能力评定量表》进行评定,并同专家结论进行比较:使用BPRS对精神症状评分:对被评定为限定责任能力的案例进行三级划分。结果量表总分的组内相关系数ICC=0.9073:全量表同质信度Cronbachα=0.9572,分半相关系数分别为0.994和0.991,二者相关系数r=0.969。《限定刑事责任能力评定量表》总分和《暴力作案刑事责任能力评定量表》总分相关较高.r=0.946。量表结论与专家结论的一致性高,Kappa=0.95。限定责任能力案件得分与专家分级意见的一致性高:Kappa=0.97。《限定刑事责任能力评定量表》总分和BPRS总分相关性高,r=-0.797。结论《限定刑事责任能力评定量表》在暴力案件的鉴定中具有可用性。     

Gender inequality and homicide: a cross-national examination

Studies examining gender inequality and crime have often explored the connection between female victimisation and crime. However, feminist theories do provide a rationale for gender inequality affecting all crime, not just female victimisation. Using the ameliorative and the backlash hypothesis the current analysis examined gender inequality and homicide in 94 countries. Using a gender inequality index, we found that as gender inequality increased the homicide rate increased. This finding supports the ameliorative hypothesis, which states that as societies become more equal crime will decrease.     

Spatial patterns of homicide and political legitimacy in Europe*

Political legitimacy, or a state's “right to rule,” has been a concern for philosophers, political scientists, and sociologists for centuries. This paper examines the relationship between European states' level of political legitimacy and violence, as represented by their homicide rate. It is theorized that political illegitimacy affects homicide through deteriorating social institutions of control, violating the rules of reciprocity between the state and citizens, and/or creating an environment of “virtual statelessness” that encourages methods of “self-help.” Focusing on the modernized societies of Europe, where legitimacy may be more important to maintaining order, the present study reveals two important findings: political legitimate states have significantly lower levels of homicide, and high and low homicide rates in Europe are significantly clustered among post-Soviet states (high) and Western Europe (low).     

A case of stalking in the workplace and subsequent sexual homicide

A case of stalking in the workplace and subsequent sexual homicide by a 33-year-old male is reported. Following several months of stalking a 38-year-old female, the male subject went to the woman's office after business hours and restrained, raped, and murdered her. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds. The facts of the case reveal that the subject fits a predatory-type stalker, which represents a small subgroup within stalkers that has received little attention. Unlike other types of stalkers, the predatory stalker gives little warning to their victim (or multiple victims), as their stalking behaviors tend not to be very invasive or harassing. In general, most stalkers are not physically violent; however, predatory-type stalkers, given their tendency for sexual violence, are dangerous and the importance of identifying them is emphasized. Factors associated with perpetrators of sexual homicide are discussed.     

Licensed firearm dealers,legal compliance,and local homicide: A case study

Research summary

This study uses a combination of tract-level and street network-level analyses to examine: (1) the overall association between federally licensed firearm dealers (FFLs) and homicides, (2) the relationship between dealers with serious violations (such as selling to prohibited buyers or failing to record sales) and homicide, and (3) whether the dealer–homicide association is moderated by community disadvantage. Results replicate and confirm a relationship between dealers and homicides in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Importantly, however, we also find that proximity to noncompliant dealers specifically elevates the risk of lethal violence.

Policy implications

We detail how a coordinated effort between federal, state, and local agencies to regulate firearm dealers and ensure that legal compliance can be instrumental in reducing gun violence. There is a clear need for increased oversight of gun dealers and more robust policies that hold negligent dealers accountable, including the necessary funding and regulatory manpower to enable regular auditing and support consistent follow-up for noncompliant dealers. A comprehensive policy framework that supports supply-side gun violence reduction should include additions to state-level laws that require record keeping, videotaping and store security, and regular inspection for firearm dealers.