title: [Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos: criminal and legal aspects of serial homicide with over 200 victims].
abstract: This is the first scientific report on the crimes of the homosexual paedophile sadist Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos, based on a research stay of the authors in Columbia, and including discussions with the investigators, and the offender. Between 1992 and 1999, Garavito killed more than 200 children in the core age span between 8 and 13 years (as an exception, 6 to 16 years). His modus operandi remained stable. During daytime, he lured children of a lower social status out of crowded parts of the city into hidden areas that were overgrown with high plants. Garavito promised either payment for easy work, or drugs, or made other socially believable offers. The children were tied up, tortured, raped, and killed by at least one cut in the lateral part of the neck, or by decapitation. During the killings, Garavito was drunk. Even after his arrest (for attempted sexual abuse under a wrong identity) it was not immediately possible to track his crimes since Garavito had frequently changed his places of stay and his jobs. He also grew different hairdos and used wrong names. During his still ongoing confessions, he directs the investigators correctly to all scenes of crime spread over large parts of Columbia. In our report, we give an overview over the course of investigations, hint to similarities in the cases of the German serial killer Denke (1920's) and homosexual paedophile serial killer Jürgen Bartsch (1960's), and give preliminary impressions on the offender's personality. Furthermore, the violent environment and juridical peculiarities in Columbia are discussed. In spite of a total penalty of 2600 years in prison, it is formally well possible that Garavito will be released out of prison within the next 10 to 20 years, i.e. even before the maximum sentence of 40 years will be over.
authors.affiliation: Int. Forensic Research & Consulting, Postfach 250411, D-50520 Köln.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benecke
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez y Rowinski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003105:Colombia; D005197:Famous Persons; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000266:history; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010378:Pedophilia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology