Research into sadistic sexual murders of children could aid police
Sexual homicides involving children are often highly publicised and traumatic for victims’ families and the public, especially while the offender remains unidentified and not sentenced. A study highlighting specific patterns to these murders could help police in their investigations.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/ts
With support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Julien Chopin, a Swiss postdoctoral researcher and criminologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, examined an as yet unexplored aspect of these homicides: sexual sadism.
In his studyExternal link, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Chopin highlights patterns associated with these homicides.
For example, very young victims are almost always male, their torturer is still relatively young, and the crimes are mostly committed outdoors. As the age of the criminal increases, the victims are more often pubescent, female and the crime scene may also be in the home.
“Our study provides new knowledge to police that can help them to reconstruct the sequence of events even when the evidence present at the scene of a crime is confusing,” says Chopin.
The findings may also contribute to the search for relevant profiles, to identification of suspects and to their possible arrest.
“They also show that we can’t continue to apply blindly what we know about cases involving adult victims to the specific case of crimes committed against children,” he says.
Crime scene clues
The researchers pointed out that crimes of sexual sadism committed against children have unique characteristics that distinguish them from both crimes of sexual sadism committed against adult victims and conventional sexual crimes committed against children.
The study shows that there is a certain logic to the way offenders plot their crime. They think about it and plan it at length.
“They target areas of predation and children or teenagers who are unsupervised, for example while riding their bikes or hitchhiking. They use subtle ruses to lure the children. They commit their crime in isolated places so as not to be noticed,” Chopin says.
“Since they may be recidivist offenders, it is in the interest of the police to systematically collect clues at the scene of the crime and compare them with their databases,” he adds.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Swiss Hells Angels trial alleges rape and money laundering
This content was published on
An allegedly high-ranking member of the Hells Angels is accused of money laundering totalling millions and rape, among other serious crimes.
SWISS is airline ‘group flagship’ says Lufthansa boss
This content was published on
Despite challenges, Lufthansa and its most important subsidiary, Swiss International Airlines, promise increased satisfaction and continued growth.
Swiss rediscover communist zeal after 84-year hiatus
This content was published on
Over 300 participants founded the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) at its congress in Burgdorf in canton Bern at the weekend.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Most multiple murders are in the family, says study
This content was published on
Most mass murders in Switzerland are carried out within families, for the most party by married Swiss men without criminal records, a study has found.
This content was published on
Despite opposition from the political and legal establishment in Switzerland, the statute of limitations has been removed for sexual or pornographic acts committed against children under 12. Up to now victims had until the age of 25 to take legal action. The change has come about thanks to a people’s initiative launched by an organisation…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.