The Criminal Sexual Sadist

Is Investigative Awareness a Distinctive Feature of Sexual Sadism?

“…When considering the risk of detection in sexual homicide, it is important to take into account the fact that some offenders choose the location where they commit the crime after having assessed the risk of detection associated with these locations. Previous studies have shown that sadistic offenders tend to select isolated locations to commit their crimes (e.g., Beech et al, 2009; Gratzer & Bradford, 1995; Groth & Birnbaum, 1979; Hazelwood et al, 1992). In the current study, a total of six variables related to locations involving risk of detection are included, all coded dichotomously (0 = no, 1 = yes): (a) risk of being detected at contact scene, (b) risk of being detected at offense scene, (c) risk of being detected at body recovery scene, (d) contact scene was deserted, (e) offense scene was deserted, and (f) body recovery scene was deserted.…”

“…In their descriptive study of 30 sadistic criminals, Dietz, Hazelwood, and Warren (1990) showed that these offenders typically exhibit investigative awareness as a majority of them had studied law enforcement procedures, wore gloves not to leave fingerprints, and had preselected isolated locations to commit their crime. Similarly, Gratzer and Bradford (1995) as well as Beech, Craig, and Browne (2009) showed that some of the offense characteristics associated with sadism included careful planning of the offense and the taking of the victim to a preselected location which provides safety for the offender and little opportunity for escape or rescue of the victim (see also Groth & Birnbaum, 1979; Hazelwood, Dietz, & Warren, 1992).…”

Sexual Sadism in the Context of Rape and Sexual Homicide

“…The presence of deviant sexual fantasies is often used to identify the sexual sadist and is considered to be a common feature of sexual sadism (Brittain, 1970;Dietz et al, 1990;Knight & Prentky, 1990;MacCulloch et al, 1983;Marshall & Kennedy, 2003;Ressler et al, 1988). The fantasies of sexual sadists are thought to reflect the same themes of violence, dominance, and humiliation that characterize their crime scene behaviors when they act on them (e.g., Hazelwood, Dietz, & Warren, 1992). Researchers have claimed that not only are deviant sexual fantasies thought to be present in virtually all sexual sadists but also there is assumed to be a strong compulsion to act on them (Holmes & Holmes, 1996).…”

Sexual Homicide in France

“…They contact their victim, whom they do not know, in the street, confine her, use restraints to neutralize her, and perform sexual acts on her that lead to the incidental tearing of her clothes (external constraint). It should be noted that confinement and the use of restraints has been reported to be associated with sexual sadism (Nitschke, Osterheider, & Mokros, 2009), and to allow the murderer to neutralize his victim (an external constraint; Sewall, Krupp, & Lalumière, 2013) and satisfy his deviant sexual fantasies (e.g., domination, possession, exertion of power, infliction of suffering, all of which are internal constraints) through a ritual involving torture (e.g., nonlethal strangulation; Hazelwood, Dietz, & Warren, 1992; Ressler et al, 1988). The victim’s physical suffering and psychological distress accentuate the SSM’s sexual arousal.…”