SEXUAL MURDER

Background. Little 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. Method. Twenty-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. Results. The most notable characteristic distinguishing the men who killed was their lifelong isolation and lack of heterosexual relationships. Conclusions. A 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.