Sexual Murder

Abstract

BackgroundLittle is known about men who kill in a sexual context. The present study compares a group of sexual murderers with a group of men who had raped but not killed.MethodTwenty-one men who murdered women in the course of a sexual attack and 121 men convicted of rape were interviewed in six prisons. Victim statements were obtained in 103 cases (73%). Assessment consisted of a 90-minute semi-structured interview, the Eysenck 1–7 questionnaire, and the Schonell reading test.ResultsThe most notable characteristic distinguishing the men who killed was their lifelong isolation and lack of heterosexual relationships.ConclusionsA better understanding of the social and emotional isolation commonly found in sexual murderers may provide important insights into why some sexual offenders go on to kill.