title: Sexual homicide: Brief review of the literature and case report involving rape, genital mutilation and human arson.
abstract: The objective of the current paper is to report a new case of sexual murder involving human arson and summarize the literature on the phenomenon of sexual homicide. The present case study is unprecedented in Greece and a rarity in international literature due to the fact that the victim suffered genital mutilation and incineration while still alive. The evaluation consisted of 176 articles; 53 were reviewed by the authors. The results revealed sparse, but significant, research findings. The authors discuss the limitations regarding research, incidence of the phenomenon, crime-scene patterns, offender characteristics (killing methods, motive inferences, sociodemographic data, classifications, psychopathology, modus operandi), and victim selection. The incidence of the phenomenon is unclear (1-4%) due to non-standardized criteria. It is an expression of displaced anger or sexual sadism and/or a way to elude detection (ancillary benefit). Most offenders (in their first kill) and victims were in their late 20s to early 30s and belong to Caucasian populations. Personal weapons were commonly used against women, strangulation is the prevalent killing method against children, and firearms against men. Most of the sexual homicide perpetrators are non-psychotic at the time of the attack, but experience personality pathology, primitive defenses, pathological object relations, and withdrawal into fantasy in order to deal with social isolation.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, G. Papanikolaou General Hospital of Thessaloniki, GR 57010, Exohi, Asvestoxori, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria-Valeria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Karakasi
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, G. Papanikolaou General Hospital of Thessaloniki, GR 57010, Exohi, Asvestoxori, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Epameinondas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vasilikos
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Polichronis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voultsos
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, G. Papanikolaou General Hospital of Thessaloniki, GR 57010, Exohi, Asvestoxori, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vlachaki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, GR 68100, Alexandroupolis, Greece. Electronic address: pavlidi@med.duth.gr.
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000293:injuries*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D000066550:Physical Abuse; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000293:injuries*
keywords: Aggression; Antisocial; Arson; Behavior; Catathymia; Classification; Compulsive; Criminality; Criminology; Erotophonophilia; Firesetting; Forensic pathology; Forensic psychiatry; Homicide; Immolation; Incineration; Lust murder; Murder; Narcissistic; Paraphilia; Sexual; Sexual assault