Ch 9 Flashcards
Rape
The means used to overcome the will of the female victim is of major importance in rape investigations:
- Force or the threat of the use of force
- Administration of drugs (including alcoholic beverages)
- Incapacity to consent (victim’s physical or mental condition or age)
- In the terminology of state legislatures, rape is said to be aggravated rape when the rapist is armed with a dangerous weapon, kidnaps the victim, inflicts bodily injury, or is in a position of trust in regard to the victim such as official authority (custody or control) or a familial relationship.
Rape (cont…)
Leads to the identity of an unknown rapist may be developed from the same areas as in criminal homicide investigations:
- The victim’s background
- Persons in contact with the victim or places visited by her in the hours immediately preceding the rape
- Weapons found at the scene
- Persons with knowledge or opportunity—access to the victim and scene of the crime, or at or near the scene at the time of the rape
- Injured suspects (when victim believes he or she scratched or otherwise injured the rapist)
- Connect-ups with previous forcible rapes
Rape follow up interview ,ay he postponed
because of injuries and mental condition of the victim,
lack of a suitable private place,
or a departmental ruling that such interviews be conducted by specially trained personnel.
Personality Profile of the Serial rapist
The Sadistic Rapist
—finds the intentional maltreatment of his victim intensely gratifying and takes pleasure in her torment, anguish, distress, helplessness, and suffering. The assault usually involves bondage and torture and frequently has a bizarre or ritualistic quality to it. In extreme cases—those involving sexual homicide—grotesque acts may take place, such as the sexual mutilation of the victim’s body or necrophilia. Usually, the victims are strangers who share some common characteristic, such as age, appearance, or occupation. They are symbols of something the sadistic rapist wants to punish or destroy. The assault is deliberate, calculated, and preplanned. The offender takes precautions against discovery by wearing a disguise or blindfolding the victim. The victim is stalked, abducted, abused, and sometimes murdered. The sadistic rapist has made a connection between the infliction of pain and sexual gratification, which results in abuse and torture of the victim.
Personality Profile of the Serial rapist
The Power Rapist—uses sex as a means of compensating for underlying feelings of inadequacy and to express issues of mastery, strength, authority, and control over another person. His goal is sexual conquest, and he uses only the amount of force necessary to accomplish his objective. His aim is to capture and control his victim. He often is armed with a weapon for intimidation. His victim may be subjected to repeated assaults over an extended time. This offender tends to find little sexual satisfaction in the rape for it never lives up to his fantasies. The amount of force and aggression used in the assault may increase over time as the offender becomes more desperate to achieve that indefinable experience that continues to elude him.8 Power rapists are of two types:
The Power Reassurance Rapist—is the least violent of all the rapists and the least socially competent, suffering from low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy. The reason he rapes is to elevate his own self-status. This rapist’s self-image is as a loser, and by controlling another person he hopes to make himself feel important, if only temporarily. He uses only enough force to control his victims. He may later contact his victim to inquire about her health as if he is concerned about the ill effects of the rape. He may also be convinced that his victim enjoyed being raped and may promise to return.
The Power Assertive Rapist
— rapes to express his virility and personal dominance. He has a sense of superiority simply because he is a man and he rapes because he believes that he is entitled to do so. This rapist is indifferent to the comfort and welfare of his victim—she is at his mercy and she must do what he desires. He is image conscious and tends to be a flashy dresser. He is a regular at singles bars, and he is known as someone who is always trying to pick up women, and he is continually trying to validate his image as being macho.
Personality Profile of the Serial rapist
The Anger Rapist or anger retaliation rapist
—commits the crime of rape as a means of expressing and discharging feelings of pent-up anger and rage. The assault is characterized by physical brutality. The rapist uses far more force than is necessary to overpower the victim and achieve sexual penetration. This offender attacks his victim—grabbing her, striking her, knocking her to the ground, then beating her, tearing her clothes, and raping her. He may use a blitz style of attack or a confidence-style approach to gain access to the victim and then launch a sudden, overpowering attack. The anger rapist typically finds little or no sexual gratification in the rape. The act is more of a weapon—a means by which he can defile, degrade, and humiliate his victim. These attacks tend to be of short duration and infrequent, as it takes time for his frustrations and aggravation to reach a volatile point again. In summary, his intent is to hurt and degrade his victim; his weapon is sex and his motive is revenge.
Post rape
Examiners search for and report scratches, bites, bruises, and other wounds; they describe scars, moles, and tattoos; and they secure physical evidence associated with the crime of rape. In addition, samples of the suspect’s blood, urine, and hair (head and pubic) are taken.10 If clothing worn by the suspect at the time of arrest is believed to have been worn at the time of the rape, it should be seized and sent to the forensic science laboratory for examination.
Scatophilia
the erotic gratification gained from the telephone conversation between the caller and the victim rather than from any form of sexual contact. Like the exhibitionist, the obscene phone caller wants his victim on the other end of the phone to be shocked, disgusted, or even horrified by his demeanor or words.
Frottage
the realization of sexual gratification from rubbing against certain body parts of another person. The victim is usually a stranger and the activity occurs in a crowded but public place, such as a shopping center, or elevator.
psychological incest
sexual activity between a child and a step parent, foster parent, or a live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother. It also includes such nonrelated family members as step brothers and step uncles.
mushroom factor
Diligent inquiry will disclose a network of other incidents, victims, and pedophiles. This mushroom factor links activity likely to identify a previously unknown child molester. Evidence available upon the arrest of a suspect (address book, identity of friends and associates) will often disclose the full details of a network of pedophiles and their victims. Common to this organization of pedophiles and child victims are registered sex offenders.
